No kennel space, can't take in more stray dogs, ABC centres tell MCD

All animal birth control (ABC) centres in Delhi, on Wednesday, expressed their inability to take in any more stray dogs , citing lack of kennel space and financial constraints, TOI has learnt.

This was hours after an MCD officer directed NGOs running the ABC centres to start picking up "aggressive dogs" from vulnerable points, despite Delhi CM Rekha Gupta recently asking officials concerned to refrain from taking any "harsh action" against strays till the Supreme Court pronounces its final order on the issue.

Seeking anonymity, ABC centre officials told TOI, "We have informed MCD in writing that all our kennels are full. ABC centres are small and designed for only carrying out sterilisation. Not a single ABC centre in Delhi is equipped to handle long-term housing of strays."

This clearly validates the stand of protesting animal rights activists who have described the Supreme Court's Aug 11 order to remove all Delhi-NCR stray dogs to distant shelters as "inhumane, unscientific & illegal" and one that doesn't take into account the practical limitations of existing infra and resources.

In fact, on Tuesday only, the central government informed Parliament that it intends to regulate street dog population through its ABC programme that mandates local civic bodies to catch and release strays back to their original locations post-sterilisation.

The ABC rules, framed under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, align with standards set by the World Organisation for Animal Health and promote the " Capture-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release method " for humane and effective stray population management, junior animal husbandry minister SP Singh Baghel had said.