MCC to have 60 stray dog feeding zones

Mangaluru City Corporation Commissioner Ravichandra Nayak and honorary treasurer of Animal Care Trust Suma Nayak at a meeting of dog feeders in Mangaluru on Sunday.
| Photo Credit:
H.S. Manjunath

The Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) will have a stray dog feeding zone in each of the 60 wards of the civic body, MCC Commissioner Ravichandra Naik said in Mangaluru on Sunday.

Chairing a meeting of stray dog feeders in the MCC office, Mr. Naik said the creation of designated feeding zones for stray dogs is among the recent directions of the Supreme Court. “As a step in this direction, I am asking you (dog feeders) to suggest areas where these zones can be set up (in Mangaluru city. We will inspect these places and finalise the zones,” he said. A survey has revealed that there are more than 50,000 stray dogs in MCC limits, he said.

Mr. Naik said a proposal is being prepared for building a shelter for stray dogs on 12 acres of land in Bondanthila. This shelter will have a veterinary hospital to take care of stray dogs, he said.

Suma R. Nayak, honorary treasurer of Animal Care Trust, which has been conducting animal birth control programme in Mangaluru city and other places in Dakshina Kannada, asked feeders to suggest areas that are in non-conflict regions. The designated feeding places will be barricaded to prevent dogs harming or getting harmed by children and elderly people. Proper shade and drinking water facilities have to be made at these zones. Boards mentioning legal provisions related to the feeding of dogs should be displayed at each of the zones.

The Dakshina Kannada district administration has to set up a seven-member Animal Welfare Committee to resolve conflicts arising out of the operation of dog feeding zones, she said.

Pouring out the ordeal she has been facing in feeding stray dogs, Veda Shrinivas, a employee in a medical shop, said she has been abused several times for feeding dogs near her house in Thokur and near her workplace in Surathkal. “I have been spending ₹700 every day to feed nearly 500 stray dogs. Fear of abuse has forced me to feed them early in the morning and late in the night. Strangers have poisoned and killed some of the dogs,” Ms. Shrinivas said.

Animal lover Rajani Shetty said she has been feeding around 800 stray dogs every day. It will be good to designate the places where she has been feeding dogs as dog-feeding zones, she said.

A retired professor from Mangalore University said he and his wife drive all the way to Konaje to feed dogs at odd hours. Another elderly woman claimed she has been beaten up several times for feeding dogs in Hampankatta and adjoining areas

A form was distributed to feeders asking them to mention places where they have been feeding dogs and cats and the time of feeding. Apart from suggesting places for dog feeding zones, the dog feeders were also asked other suggestions to take care of stray dogs.