Residents of Amanora Park Town staged a protest on Sunday over the stray dog menace and rabies threat. They highlighted that several cases of dog bites have recently been reported within the premises, causing fear among children and adults alike. The residents claimed that the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is failing to implement the Animal Birth Control (ABC) 2023 rules, and the rampant illegal relocation of stray dogs in different sectors of Amanora is worsening the problem.
In October, it was revealed that the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has allocated ₹20 crore over the last 2.5 years to control the stray dog and cat population. The largest expenditure, totaling ₹9.37 crore, occurred in the financial year 2023-24.
Despite PMC's claims of sterilizing nearly 100,000 dogs and vaccinating over 125,000 during this time, residents have expressed concerns about the effectiveness of these initiatives.
Yearly Breakdown of Expenses on Stray Dogs and Cats:
- 2022-23: ₹5,95,10,375
- 2023-24: ₹9,37,33,104
Residents speak up
DD Mishra, a resident of Amanora Park Town, said, "We are facing these challenges mainly with the feeders. The PMC is failing to implement the ABC rules. PMC veterinary officers lack awareness of the rules and have failed to maintain essential records regarding strays and vaccinations within Amanora. The lack of proper care for potentially rabid strays and inadequate vaccination programs are significant concerns, leaving the community vulnerable to rabies outbreaks."
Sanjiv Mujumdar, director of Amanora township, stated, "We have formed an animal welfare committee with the government authorities, and we want the authority to take action as they see fit. We wrote letters to the authorities regarding the incidents of dog bites, but we haven't received any help from them so far. This committee was supposed to act as a bridge to solve the issues and control the situation, but they have failed to provide any assistance. The information about the vaccination status of the strays is not well documented by the authorities."
Dog bite incidents
Sachin Jadav, a resident who has owned property in sector 12 of Amanora township since 2012, remarked, "It was a very peaceful society, but for the past two years, this large community has been overtaken by dogs. During COVID, residents took care of a few stray dogs, feeding and caring for them, but the situation worsened when some activists and NGOs became involved. There have been instances where 2-3 children were bitten by dogs, and this year the problem has escalated. Now children are afraid to go to the open play areas."
He also added, "The stray dogs have occupied the open spaces where elderly people go for walks and where children play. Activists and feeders are flouting the rules laid out by the ABC. According to the ABC rules, if aggressive dogs are present in the society, the PMC is supposed to take them in trucks, keep them in isolation, and train them for at least 10 days before returning them to their original location, but no such actions have occurred in our society. Many aggressive stray dogs chase people riding two-wheelers. Most of these dogs are not native to this place, and the incidents of chasing and biting are concerning. The officials should take action."
Dr Sarika Funde, veterinary superintendent of PMC, said, "We have designated specific feeding points within Amanora township. We can take action in compliance with ABC norms; we can't relocate the dogs. With the help of feeders and activists in the community, we sterilize stray dogs every year. When we receive calls from residents to provide vaccinations, our team goes there and ensures all the strays are vaccinated. We are adhering to the ABC rules."
