Madhya Pradesh Struggles To Build Even One Standard Dog Shelter Amid Stray-Dog Crisis

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The state continues to face a major infrastructure gap in managing stray and rabies-infected dogs, as not a single dog shelter home in the state currently complies with the standards laid down under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Act, 2023.

Following recent directions issued by the Supreme Court on stray dog management, the Urban Administration Department (UAD) on Wednesday instructed all 413 urban local bodies (ULBs) across the state to submit compliance reports based on a 28-point questionnaire after collecting detailed data related to stray dogs.

UAD officials said that a few months ago, existing shelter homes in the state had the capacity to accommodate nearly 750 dogs, which has now increased to around 1,300. Officials said the capacity is expected to rise to nearly 1,800 in the coming months.

To strengthen the existing system, land has been identified in 12 cities, including Bhopal, for the construction of dedicated shelter homes. Each proposed facility will be developed on one acre of land and will have the capacity to accommodate nearly 2,000 dogs.

In Bhopal, the proposed shelter home will come up in Kalapani, where construction work is expected to begin after completion of the tender process.

According to the UAD, although no official census has been conducted, estimates suggest there are nearly 45 lakh dogs across Madhya Pradesh.

Shelter homes lack basic norms

According to provisions of the ABC Act, 2023, every shelter facility must include an operation centre along with designated feeding and watering areas for dogs.At present, only Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres are functioning in the state, while full-fledged shelter homes remain absent.

The Act also authorises euthanasia of violent or rabies-infected dogs, but only after approval from a panel of three veterinarians.

Rabies-infected dogs housed at Aasra

In Bhopal, rabies-infected dogs are currently housed at Aasra , a dedicated rabies shelter home located in Jahangirabad. Officials said the process for taking a decision on euthanasia is lengthy, with the designated committee often taking up to a week to complete formalities. So far, no dog has been euthanised at the facility. Officials said all infected dogs housed there died naturally due to disease progression. At present, three rabies-infected dogs are staying at the shelter home.

Dr PP Singh, in-charge of the Municipal Corporation s ABC Centre, told Free Press that the provision for euthanasia of rabies-infected or severely diseased dogs already exists under the ABC Act, 2023. However, he said that due to lengthy procedures, infected dogs often die naturally before the process is completed.