Relocating dogs not financially viable: Animal activists
"Shelters will have to be constructed away from residential areas because of noise concerns, and maintaining such facilities for over one lakh dogs will need huge funds," said Rimjhim Joshi, an animal rights activist
The expenses, they said, would include hiring feeders and helpers, arranging food, ensuring sanitation, managing diseases, and providing grooming — estimated at about Rs 3,000 per dog per month. "This alone would run into crores of rupees, far exceeding the cost of sterilisation," she added.
Rupa Patwardhan, an animal rights activist, said, "Vaccinating all stray dogs with anti-rabies injections every year can be achieved with proper planning.
Relocating them to shelters will be a logistical nightmare. Imagine the number of buildings that would have to be constructed — around 5,000 shelters — along with the staff and food, which are currently managed by local residents. Why should govt funds be diverted for this, when the same money could be used for essential sectors like health and education?"
They also highlighted the ecological impact of removing stray dogs.
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Citing examples from Mumbai, activists said that when dog populations reduced, the number of cats, rodents, snakes, and even monkeys increased, creating new challenges.
"The absence of a 24-hour govt veterinary hospital in Indore adds to treatment costs. Currently, the city has only one recognised shelter, located in Vijay Nagar and run by an animal activist on premises provided by the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC)," said Joshi.
Instead of relocation, activists have proposed aggressive implementation of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme, mass rabies vaccination drives for both humans and animals, awareness campaigns, a ban on pet trade, registration of pet dogs, and promotion of stray dog adoption.
They also demanded setting up at least five additional birth control centres instead of 100 new shelters. "If implementation is proper and corruption-free, we can achieve zero rabies and complete population control in just two years," said Joshi.
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