MCD nears plan for CSR-backed dog shelter in Dwarka, feeding points to be increased

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has received a proposal from a private multinational conglomerate to set up a dog shelter in Dwarka Sector 29, with the civic body close to finalising the plan, senior officials said on Thursday.

The proposed shelter is likely to come up by the company which specialises in infrastructure development, airports, energy, transportation and urban infrastructure under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, while the MCD has also issued instructions to increase feeding points for stray dogs across the city substantially, officials added.

''There are close to 700 designated feeding points in the national capital. Instructions have been issued to substantially increase the number of feeding points in the city,'' a senior MCD official aware of the matter said.

Officials said the civic body is also working on a euthanasia protocol in line with Supreme Court directions and the policy will be implemented after wider consultation.

''The proposed mechanism will include at least three members associated with the policy to ensure cases are handled as per prescribed norms and Supreme Court directives are followed,'' a senior MCD official said, adding euthanasia is a sensitive issue and will be taken up as a last resort.

Under the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, incurably ill and mortally wounded dogs, as diagnosed by a team appointed by the Local Animal Birth Control Monitoring Committee, may be euthanised humanely by a qualified veterinarian through intravenous administration of sodium pentobarbital or any other approved method.

Further, the MCD will identify land in coordination with the Delhi government's Animal Husbandry Department, and develop additional kennels and shelters to house aggressive stray dogs following the Supreme Court's recent directions on stray dog management, officials said on Thursday.

A senior MCD official said that the commissioner has directed officials to identify suitable land for the shelters in consultation with the Animal Husbandry Department.

''We will identify land as per suitability so that shelters can be developed and aggressive dogs can be housed there,'' a senior MCD official said.

The decision was taken after MCD Commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar held a meeting with officials of the civic body's veterinary department following his visit to the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Centre at Bela Road.

According to officials, commissioner has also reviewed space earmarked for a pet crematorium at Bela road, which officials said is likely to be developed under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode.

Officials further said the civic body is planning shelters in accordance with prescribed norms, under which around 20 square feet of space is required per dog.

''If a shelter is planned for 100 dogs, a separate space will also be needed for isolation wards, clinical areas and food storage facilities. In such a case, nearly 2,800 square feet of space would be required,'' an official said.

Officials said the MCD has made budgetary provisions this financial year for multiple initiatives related to stray dog management, including Rs 20 crore for microchipping, Rs 20 crore for sterilisation programmes and another Rs 20 crore for the development of dog shelters.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)