India: Enforce quality standard in stray dog birth control program

We are proud that as a policy our country recognizes and upholds stray dog birth control and vaccination as the effective measure for stray dog population control. However, we are very distressed with the sufferings of the stray and homeless dogs across the country, who suffers endlessly in the hands of errant municipal corporation(s) employees, as well as, untrained employees of organizations working with the corporation to provide animal birth controls.

By this petition, we request the leaders of India, the police force and the municipality corporations to sensitize their staff and make them understand that crimes against animals are an indication of more serious problems. If perpetrators of these crimes are punished and right actions taken, it is very likely that a number of human lives would also be saved too.Although in this petition the plight of stray dogs, community dogs and the poor man’s pet dogs in Chandigarh, Panchkula and  nearby areas is highlighted, we would like to state here very emphatically that similar conditions prevail across the country. We are proud that as a policy our country recognizes and upholds stray dog birth control and vaccination as the only effective measure for stray dog population and rabies control. However, we are very distressed by the sufferings of the stray and homeless dogs across the country who suffer endlessly at the hands of errant municipal corporation(s) employees, specifically dog catchers who catch dogs for sterilization in the most inhuman manner, in the process seriously injuring and even killing these dogs, as well as untrained employees of organizations working with the corporation to provide animal birth controls.As per the law of the land, homeless dogs are to be sterilized, vaccinated against rabies, and then returned  to their original habitat, i.e. where they were picked up from. Details on this are available in the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2001, enacted under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. These Rules had received the assent of both Houses of Parliament (India), and have become the law applicable across the country.The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act is designed to protect animals from mistreatment. But there is brutality happening in the name of Animal Birth Control (ABC). Spaying and neutering operations are being conducted on dogs by unsupervised trainees and inexperienced veterinarians who have never performed such surgeries before. In other words, stray dogs are being used as a training ground for doctors. Would trainee doctors be allowed to perform surgeries on human beings? CertaInly not! Then why is this being allowed on animals? The Municipal Corporation Chandigarh, has fixed targets for the organizations conducting these operations and expects them to conduct 150-200 operations per month. This is despite the fact that none of the organizations have the infrastructure to conduct so many operations in a quality and experienced manner. This is resulting in the blatant violation of the ABC rules  which very clearly state that at one time only one lot of dogs, and that too from only one locality, is to be brought to a shelter and till that lot is released, a new lot is not to be picked up. The rules also state that male and female dogs have to be segregated. Animal activists have acquired pictures of the female dogs operated upon in these organizations which have their sutures open and innards hanging out and this means increased risk of infection. This is happening time and again, and the biggest reason for this is that the organizations are more concerned about the amount per dog operated that they will be paid by the municipality. This terrible cruelty in the name of spaying and neutering is a joke and very hurtful for the residents who have some conscience left. Animal activists have also routinely photographed the municipality and organization catchers catching the dogs to take them for surgery. No person in their right mind can stand the sight!In addition to the brutal manner of catching dogs, the municipality and the organization catchers are picking up dogs haphazardly from different areas on any particular day, again in violation of the rules. There was a meeting held with the MC Commissioner on January 27, 2011, where it was decided that catching would now be done locality wise and an area was fixed. This was done for a few days but now again they have resorted to picking up dogs from all over the place with absolutely no system or logic. In addition, there is no segregation at the organizations. It is a chaotic situation at the time of feeding and post-operative treatment.  Dogs often run away sometimes before and sometimes after surgery. No effort whatsoever made to find the dogs that run away. 
There have been cases of dogs dying due to lack of proper food and post-operative care. The municipality has also been picking up already dogs sterilised, very old dogs, very young pups and female dogs in advanced stages of pregnancy. No importance is given to providing an aseptic environment to the animals. There have been cases when dogs have come out of anaesthesia before the surgery is complete and instead of giving more anaesthesia, the procedure has continued with  poor animal screaming in pain. There are times when dogs are released without ear-notching and they are picked up again for the same spaying/neutering operations. There is also evidence that the supposedly skilled vets performing surgery, are doing so for the first time, without any supervision and training at the cost of the lives of these animals. We, the concerned citizens of India, demand a thorough investigation of the records of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh and the organizations conducting the spaying / neutering surgeries. We demand that the focus is not on numbers of dogs operated on per month.We demand that only skilled, professionally qualified, trained, experienced veterinarians be assigned to conduct the spaying / neutering surgeries on these poor voiceless dogs.We demand that all publicly funded programmes  meet the protocols set out by the Animal Welfare Board of India. If they do not meet these protocols they should not receive funding.We demand that volunteers and animal lovers be allowed routine and random visits and inspections to ensure that the rules are being followed. They must also be allowed to check records and must report any anomalies. These honorary inspectors should not be affiliated to any organization, government or otherwise just ordinary citizens with a deep concern for animal welfare. Organizations that receive public funds must be open to public scrutiny.  The people involved in the butchering need to be told that they cannot be allowed to get away with this. These people need to understand that focus should not be on numbers. Instead, they need to work on turning localities into puppy-free and rabies-free zones and this can be done only if the program is carried out systematically in accordance with the rules.  In addition to the appalling situation in Chandigarh and Panchkula, we have reason to believe that similar situations exist in other parts of the country as well, in the name of spaying and neutering. Dogs are being operated on by inept doctors,  sometimes even compounders, under appalling conditions, post-operative care is often non-existent, conditions at these NGOs are extremely unhygienic, the dogs are released too soon, sutures, if put in at all, open and as a result of all of the above the dogs die a horrible death.
In conclusion we would like to say that we support the Animal Birth Control programme as the only humane and effective means of containing the stray dog population and the spread of Rabies. However, we insist that before implementing ABC, proper infrastructure must be put in place whereby the animals remain healthy and are not subjected to torture however well meaning it may be.   As stated earlier, by this petition, we request the leaders of India; the police force and the municipality corporations to sensitive their staff and make them understand that crimes against animals are an indication of more serious problems. If perpetrators of these crimes are punished and right actions taken, it is very likely that a number of human lives would be saved too.
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