A file photo showing stray dogs in Bengaluru.
| Photo Credit: Sudhakara Jain
In a bid to scale up the Animal Birth Control (ABC) exercise, the Bengaluru corporations are planning to introduce strict target-based surgeries and an accountability system, sources confirmed to The Hindu.However, the shortage of space in ABC centres, which are currently operational, poses a hurdle to implementing the rule. Officials acknowledged the issue and said they were upgrading the existing ABC centres with additional space and facilities to address the impediment.Further, the corporations said they were searching for vacant land parcels to set up more ABC centres. However, the exercise has been sluggish.The move to scale up ABC comes even as the corporations are scouting locations to set up shelters and new ABC centres to comply with Supreme Court directives requiring them to relocate dogs living within institutions (both private and government) to shelters.“Although there are monthly targets set, the rule was barely followed by the vendors. But this is a primary exercise for curbing bite incidents,” a senior official from the North Corporation told The Hindu, adding that now they are making it mandatory and implementing strict follow-ups.AWBI rulesHowever, an official who was earlier in charge of the ABC programme explained that complying with the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) ABC rules while scaling up the surgeries was not possible in the past with the existing infrastructure.“The AWBI rules mandate monitoring dogs that have undergone surgery for three days. We only had an installed capacity of 250 for monitoring neutered dogs,” the official said. “So even if we had 300 dogs for surgery, we could operate on only 250. There was no scope for scaling up the ABC programme,” the officer added.Due to such shortcomings, the then Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had even planned to ignore the AWBI’s ABC rules and implement the Catch, Neuter, Vaccinate, and Release (CNVR) technique, which required just one day to neuter and release stray dogs. However, according to Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) officials, the plan lost momentum during the transition of the civic body and was eventually shelved.The plan also did not receive a positive response from animal rights activists. Arun Prasad, an animal rights activist, told The Hindu that the AWBI’s ABC rules are drafted scientifically and must be strictly followed to ensure there are no botched surgeries.“If the dogs are released without being monitored for a few days, the stitches may come off as they roam freely. This will not only cost a dog its life but also open the door to the spread of diseases,” Mr. Prasad said, adding that the corporations should not consider CNVR even now.Activists have welcomed the move by the corporations to increase installed capacity but have cautioned against burdening veterinarians with excessive neutering workloads, citing earlier instances of botched operations due to pressure. They have suggested that the corporations train and hire more veterinarians for the effective implementation of target-based surgeries.Pushed to the backburnerBesides CNVR, the BBMP had also planned microchipping and feeding programmes. However, these plans are currently in cold storage, with the corporations prioritising Supreme Court directives. Civic bodies confirmed that the plans are not entirely shelved but may be revisited after implementing the directives.Apart from these programmes, the civic bodies’ exercise to identify feeding spots across the city has also been sluggish. Officials said the work is ongoing and noted that plans are afoot to dedicate shelter space within existing ABC centres. Published - February 22, 2026 06:09 pm IST
