BBMP says decision to feed street dogs taken after evaluating pros and cons

Bengaluru, Jul 13 (PTI) Sharing details of its Rs 2.88 crore plan to feed about 4,000 street dogs in the city, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Sunday clarified that it has invited a tender in this regard after reviewing the pros and cons of the initiative.
    It said the project cost involves setting up 100 feeding locations per zone, providing one meal a day to 500 dogs per zone for 365 days a year. The per-dog daily cost is Rs 19 (excluding taxes).
    This includes Rs 8 for daily transport, food distribution, and cleaning at the feeding sites, and Rs 11 for the cost of food itself, according to a clarification issued by BBMP Special Commissioner of the Animal Husbandry Department, Suralkar Vikas Kishor.
    Stating that the BBMP’s feeding programme is aligned with the revised Animal Birth Control (ABC) guidelines issued by the Animal Welfare Board of India, it said that as dogs are carnivorous, the meals will be nutritionally balanced, consisting of boiled chicken (for protein), rice, and vegetables.
    This combination is designed to be suitable and easily digestible for street dogs. The tender document only lists the nutritional components of the meal, and the term "biryani" does not appear anywhere, it clarified.
    The food will be appropriate, nutritionally balanced, and based on veterinary advice, drawing from the pilot project implemented last year.
    The civic body cited wide public discussion and analysis on this matter in the media and on social media in its clarification.
    Noting that BBMP initiated feeding of street dogs during the Covid-19 pandemic, and that food was also provided to a specific number of dogs last year as a continuation of that effort, it said that this year’s initiative is an improvement based on lessons learned and is also a statutory requirement as per the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, notified by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI).
    BBMP has invited tenders for the supply of balanced meals to be served at designated feeding points across each zone, identified and monitored by the respective Assistant Directors, it said.
    The initiative offers several benefits, BBMP said. Catching feral dogs is a major challenge, and in certain areas, food scarcity forces dogs to form aggressive packs, increasing the likelihood of dog bites. The feeding programme is aimed at addressing such issues.
    Feeding makes it easier to catch the dogs for sterilisation and vaccination. This, in turn, boosts the effectiveness of animal birth control and anti-rabies vaccination campaigns, it said.
    Designated feeding spots help reduce pack behaviour and food-related aggression.
    "A mass vaccination drive is already underway. Balanced nutrition will improve the overall health of dogs, which reduces the risk of zoonotic disease transmission. This initiative is part of the broader public health effort under the animal health programme to control rabies," it added.
    BBMP pointed out that out of the estimated 2.7 lakh street dogs in the city, only about 4,000—those most vulnerable due to lack of access to food—have been targeted under this initiative.
    When implemented at the ward level with identified feeding spots, this can create a significant local impact, it said. Approximately 70 per cent of BBMP wards have already achieved sterilisation targets. However, certain wards still face challenges in catching dogs or reducing bite incidents.
    "Focused feeding is being implemented in such areas to bring about improvement. BBMP continues to prioritise its animal birth control programme across the city. In other areas, dog feeding is already being actively managed by volunteer animal lovers and NGOs," it added.
    Stating that BBMP will continue monitoring the effectiveness of this initiative in terms of sterilisation, vaccination coverage, and reduction in dog bite cases, BBMP said that based on a comprehensive review at the end of the year, decisions will be made regarding the programme’s continuation or future modifications.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)