Bengaluru (Karnataka)

The Animal Husbandry Department of the Bengaluru Central Municipal Corporation on Saturday designated 90 specific locations as official feeding zones for stray dogs within its jurisdiction. This initiative aims to balance animal welfare with public health and urban cleanliness across the central parts of the city.

Daljit Kumar, Additional Commissioner of Development, Central Municipal Corporation, said, "With a view to the welfare and management of stray dogs, public health protection and environmental cleanliness within the jurisdiction of the Central Municipal Corporation, the Animal Husbandry Department of the Bengaluru Central Municipal Corporation has identified 90 places as official feeding spots (feeding spots) for feeding stray dogs."

"Signboards called feeding points have been installed at the identified places, and the public can feed them at the said places, Daljit Kumar, Additional Commissioner of Development, Central Municipal Corporation, said.

Feeding street/community dogs is important to promote coexistence between humans and community animals and reduce conflict.

The Additional Commissioner for Development said that "providing food to community dogs/stray dogs in a systematic manner can reduce their aggressive nature and biting tendency by satisfying their hunger, which will be helpful in neutering stray dogs and conducting mass vaccination programs."

He said that "as per the guidelines of the Supreme Court of India and the Animal Welfare Board of India, feeding spots have been identified in priority places such as main roads, schools-colleges, hospitals, bus stands, metro stands and other public places where there is no inconvenience to the citizens walking and away from crowded areas, where local feeders and animal lovers want to feed stray dogs, with the cooperation of veterinary officers and staff of the Animal Husbandry Department. "

According to the Bengaluru Central Municipal Corporation, 90 places have been identified in all 43 wards of all 6 assembly constituencies of the Bengaluru Central Municipal Corporation, including Jeevan Bhimanagar, Chamarajpet, Chikkapet, Gandhinagar, Halsur, Indiranagar, Yamahal, Cottonpet, Binnipet, Agaram, Agrahara, Domlur, HAL, etc.

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Public information boards have also been installed at those places as places for feeding, and the public/animal lovers have been requested to feed at the said places.

According to an appeal to the public, the administration stated that food should be provided to stray dogs only at officially identified feeding spots and must not be distributed on main roads or near hospitals, schools, or crowded areas. It is the responsibility of the feeders to keep these areas clean after use, and while all citizens have the right to feed stray dogs at these designated places, preventing them from doing so is a punishable offence. Additionally, removing, defacing, or destroying signs at official feeding spots is a punishable crime, and harming or harassing stray dogs remains a punishable offence. The public is urged to utilise these designated places through disciplined feeding and other controlled, systematic measures to ensure overall public safety.