Activists urge Chief Minister to prioritise sterilisation over permanent confinement of dogs

‘Students of Streeties’ holding a press conference in Bengaluru on Saturday. They brought a community dog to the venue. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Students and animal welfare activists on Saturday requested Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to strengthen the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme and expand anti-rabies vaccination instead of using animal pounds under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) for the permanent confinement of community dogs.They were addressing a press conference here, during which they brought a community dog to the venue.“Students for Streeties” urged that the animal pounds should be used as temporary facilities for sterilisation, vaccination and post-operative recovery rather than as permanent holding centres.The request comes amid continued criticism of the five city corporations over their handling of community dogs.The activists went to a shelter at Medi Agrahara in north Bengaluru, which recently became operational, and they flagged alleged violations of guidelines issued by the Supreme Court, the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) concerning animal care, waste management and infrastructure.With only one shelter currently operational, the group said alternatives should be explored before setting up facilities for the remaining four city corporations.The speakers also urged Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to support the effective implementation of the ABC Rules and expand sterilisation and anti-rabies vaccination programmes across 31 districts in the State.Social and environmental activist Arun Prasad said only around 10% of the State’s dog population had been sterilised and vaccinated. He said the priority should be to improve veterinary infrastructure and expand these programmes rather than confine dogs in facilities that lack adequate provisions for their care.“When the whole country is yet to set up proper pounds, why is Bengaluru in such a hurry to do this?” he asked, calling for measures that would allow community dogs to coexist with people without permanent confinement.Activists Priyanka Raghu and Mahie Rai of the Students for Streeties called on the government to address public safety concerns while protecting the welfare of community dogs. Published - October 10, 2026 07:53 pm IST