NEW DELHI: Nearly 200 designated feeding spots for community dogs have been finalised in the capital by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) since 2014.
To avoid any conflict between the feeders and local residents, AWBI demarcated fixed such feeding points on the requests of dog feeders, RWAs and in areas where there were disputes between the feeders and community members.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court vacated its stay on the operation of Delhi High Court’s verdict of July last year that animals had a right under law to be treated with compassion, respect and dignity and the protection of such beings was the moral responsibility of every citizen, including the governmental and non-governmental organisations. The high court had held that community dogs had the right to food and citizens, the right to feed these dogs without impinging on the rights of others.
Welcoming the court’s order, O P Chaudhary, chairman, AWBI, said, “We have continuously received complaints of animal feeders being harassed and about cruelty towards community animals. Some locals oppose feeding community animals claiming that such animals chase them for food or fight with their pets.”
An AWBI official explained, “To finalise a feeding spot, we conduct a survey of the locality and hear both parties and contact the municipal corporation. On mutual understanding, a spot is designated as a feeding point.” The official added, “The high court had constituted a committee to finalise the modalities of feeding strays and the panel is working on pilot projects in South Delhi Municipal Corporation areas.”
Sonya Ghosh, an animal activist who was involved with AWBI till last year in finalising designated feeding points, said, “The designated feeding spots for community dogs should be in places not frequented by residents. These could be corners areas, service lanes or unused spaces near boundary walls of the houses.” She said that some people opposed the feeding of community dogs because they felt the dogs could turn aggressive, but Ghosh said this was “an apprehension, not reality”. Others, she said, lacked compassion and AWBI has received complaints about water bowls of animals being maliciously broken in the summer.
Many dog feeders, authorised by AWBI to be colony animal caretakers, claimed they were harassed by residents even after feeding the stray dogs at designated points. Ittika Duggal, who provides food to around 100 dogs in RK Puram every day, said, “Most dogs have been sterilised and I feed them in areas that are less populated. I carry bowls and bring them back with me after feeding the dogs. However, people still harass me and snidely remark that I had turned society into a zoo or that I should take those animals to my home.”
Garima Gulati, a colony animal caretaker, alleged that her neighbours beat her up when she fed six dogs at a common area earlier. “I stay on the ground floor, so I have started feeding them in my balcony now,” said Gulati.
Savita Mishra complained that she had been unable to feed dogs at Jagriti Enclave since Thursday as residents had barred her from entering the society. “I have been feeding them for the past 14 years when the area was hardly populated. The stray dogs don’t get food and can go hungry. I haven’t received any help and cannot move these dogs outside the society,” she said.
