BHOPAL: Navodaya Vet Centre, an NGO, has come under scanner after stray dogs mauled a girl in Bagh Sevania recently.
General Secretary of the NGO Rapolu Giri Padmashali talked Free Press over phone to clear the air. Giri said that they are so hurt that they are planning to shut down their centre in the city after June when their current contract expires.
Excerpts:
The People for Animals (PFA) has alleged that you have done nothing all these years and have only pocketed money paid to you.
We are paying Rs 50,000 per month as rent for dogs’ accommodation. We have 11 support staff including two drivers. We operate two vehicles to catch dogs. We have two veterinary doctors. It is not that we are making huge profits. In fact, recently, I had to mortgage family gold to meet expenses. We are being given a bad name, without checking facts.
It is said that your organisation has been blacklisted in Hyderabad. Then, how are you working in Bhopal?
That is not true. See the website of Animal Welfare Board of India. You will find the truth. The fact is that there is nothing like blacklisting. If any NGO commits irregularities, it is de-recognised.
After Bagh Sevania, mauling incident came to light, what steps have you taken to address problem of aggressive and violent behavior of street dogs?
Our job is to catch dogs, sterilise them and then release them in the same locality. We are not responsible for dog bites. What the BMC is doing is that they catch dogs from one place and release them at another place.
Stray dogs at Kotra Sultanabad, Bhopal | FP
How many dogs in the city have been sterilised so far?
Currently, I am travelling. I can give you the exact figures once I am back in Bhopal. We have been working in Bhopal since 2014.
If dogs are being sterilised, why have their numbers increased?
We sterilise 30 dogs daily. And every day, around 100 puppies are born. So, the numbers will go up. Moreover, the sterilisation work remains suspended for long periods of time. Last year (2021), no sterilisation was done from July to November.
How much fund has been spent on sterilisation to date?
That I cannot say offhand. But last year we did work worth Rs 35- Rs 40 lakh. We get only Rs 927 per sterilization surgery, though the current rate is around Rs 1,600.
Has the BMC sought explanation from you after this incident?
Yes, they have.
How do you carry out sterilisation of dogs?
We catch around 15-20 dogs in the first half of the day and an equal number in the second half. The next day, they undergo operation. After that, we keep them for five days for post-operative care. On the sixth day, we release them at the same spot.
Do you receive donations?
No. No one gives a dime. In fact, even to get our payment from BMC, we have to beg before officials.
