BENGALURU: Will street dogs be fed biryani? How can dogs be given chicken? Why can’t the dogs be caught and kept in animal shelters? What is the benefit of the feeding programme? Why is BBMP spending taxpayers’ money on feeding dogs? Will feeding increase the stray dog population?
These are some of the questions asked by citizens after Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) announced it would feed stray dogs. Bangalore Rural MP Dr CN Manjunath questioned how the civic body can feed them chicken, and whether BBMP would be able to feed dogs in every city street. In response, BBMP has attempted to answer the questions and criticism.
Recently, BBMP floated tenders to feed around 4,000 strays one meal a day, at 11am, at nearly 100 locations. As per the BBMP’s meal plan, each dog would be fed 367.5gm of chicken rice, so the streeties get around 750 calories. As per BBMP’s estimate, the feeding programme would cost Rs 2.88 crore a year.
Clarifying doubts on dog feeding, Special Commissioner of the Animal Husbandry department Suralkar Vikas Kishor said, “BBMP started feeding community (street) dogs during the Covid-19 pandemic. As a continuation of that effort, food was provided to a specific number of dogs last year as well. Based on lessons learnt from that programme, this year’s initiative is an improvement and is also a statutory requirement as per the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, notified by the Animal Welfare Board of India.”
Feeding reduces aggressive behaviour and dog bites, makes it easier to catch dogs for sterilisation and vaccination, boosting the effectiveness of animal birth control and anti-rabies vaccination campaigns, and reduces the risk of zoonotic disease transmission, Suralkar said.
“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. In other areas, dog feeding is already being actively managed by volunteer animal lovers and NGOs,” Suralkar Vikas said.
He said the relocation or institutional sheltering of street dogs is prohibited by law. “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,” he said. The food will be appropriate, and based on veterinary advice.
He also clarified that the tender document only lists the nutritional components of the meal, and the term ‘biryani’ does not appear anywhere.
Arun Prasad, a Bengaluru-based animal activist, defended the BBMP’s feeding plan and endorsed the positive aspects highlighted by BBMP in the clarification. Prasad said the onus of feeding stray dogs is on the local authority. “There are many like us who are spending from their pockets to feed strays. After repeated pressure from us, BBMP has taken up feeding. Like lions and tigers, dogs are carnivores, and there is no harm in feeding them chicken rice.”
He said that taxpayers’ money is spent on so many unwanted things, and the amount the civic body is spending to feed strays is peanuts.