CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has temporarily halted Animal Birth Control (ABC) surgeries for community dogs across all five of its centres over the past 15 days, said official sources. Going forward, the civic body is considering the appointment of animal welfare volunteers at the ABC centres to ensure better care.
According to a series of discussions held since June 3, the GCC plans to recruit two trained volunteers in each ABC pound who will be tasked with monitoring the entire process here. Their responsibilities might include ensuring dogs are caught humanely using nets, documenting their place of capture to prevent relocation, and overseeing the availability and proper use of medical supplies such as blood testing solutions and medications, sources said.
Volunteers will also verify if necessary pre-operative tests are conducted, monitor post-operative recovery, including proper medications for wound healing, ear-notching, and feeding of cooked food, and ensure that dogs are released back to their original locations once fully recovered. The suspension of ABC surgeries comes in the wake of a protest held on May 26 in front of the Ripon Buildings, where city-based animal activists had alleged that many dogs either died due to botched surgeries, succumbed to complications after being released back onto the streets, or went missing altogether, adding that some dogs that underwent ABC procedures in GCC pounds have unhealed surgical wounds and open sutures. In response, GCC Mayor R Priya assured immediate action.
On the same day, GCC additional commissioner (health) Dr V Jaya Chandra Bhanu Reddy inspected the Pulianthope ABC facility, during which, activists raised serious concerns, including the capture of pregnant dogs, failure to ear-notch dogs after surgery and the lack of CCTV surveillance in critical areas. Following the inspection, a meeting was convened on June 3 involving GCC senior officials, zonal veterinary officers, and animal activists to discuss measures to ensure protocols are being followed.
A corporation official said, “The discussions aim to improve the quality of ABC centres and transparency in surgical procedures.” The official added, “The GCC is also considering handing over the operation and maintenance of ABC centres to NGOs, but it is still under discussion and final decisions are yet to be made.”
Activist E Martina said the Meenambakkam and Sholinganallur GCC pounds still lack blood testing machines, while the other three, despite having machines, do not have blood analysis solutions required for pre-surgical testing. These must be procured immediately, she said, adding, “When GCC is hiring volunteers into the pounds, they must also be assured job security, as many of us are leaving well-paying jobs to serve this cause.”
“Another life of a dog should not be lost due to negligence,” said animal activist G Jayaprakash. GCC must bring guidelines to take action against doctors and staff conducting surgeries without proper pre-tests or post-operative care. If the dog dies, legal action must be taken against them under medical negligence, he added.