Dear Friends,
This is an important email.
Recently we saw the news report which talked of missing dogs in Mumbai. We also come across so many cases in Delhi where street dogs go missing and never come back, or reappear at far away locations. In one or two cases one can blame the people hating dogs as they want to get rid of them. But in most cases it is the handy work of someone with a vested interest. I have taken this up ever since I got into this so called animal welfare fraternity and have faced opposition. There have been many debates as to what to tolerate and what not to in the name of a larger cause. But now this ignorance is getting too far away. So much so that it is causing more cruelty than welfare.
The main reason is the BAIT attached to the program of Animal Birth Control. Somewhere it is Rs.500 at other places it is Rs1000 or more. Even though the program is the only solution to street dog population control, but it has a FLAW which is what the agencies involved are now cashing on. THIS ISSUE HAS TO BE ADDRESSED NOW AND RESOLVE BEFORE THE WHOLE PROGRAM OF A.B.C. IS IN QUESTION.
There is only one flaw which makes the program susceptible to corruption and damage instead of good. And that ONE FLAW is ORGAN COUNTING for payments & reimbursements. For people who don’t know then the civic bodies and AWBI pay the agencies involved in ABC only after counting the organs removed from a dog after it has been operated. However, the intention of the bodies is right in paying only after they see if the dog has been operated or not, but it has led to cruelty beyond belief.
In Delhi itself I have known people complain of various atrocities being inflicted upon by these agencies conducting ABC.
A few are –
1) PUTTING DOWN OF INJURED, unclaimed PETS AND SICK DOGS TO TAKE OUT THEIR ORGAN TO CLAIM THE ABC MONEY.
2) DISLOCATE THE DOG AFTER ABC TO ANOTHER AREA SO THAT NEW DOGS COME AND THE ABC BUSINESS GOES ON IN THEIR AREA. ALSO TO SAVE FUEL AND BOTHERATION OF GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE AREA FROM WHERE THE DOG WAS PICKED.
3) PUPS ARE OPERATED UPON AND THROWN ON THE OUTSKIRTS OR INFORMAL AREAS TO CLAIM MONEY OF A.B.C.
4) Dogs, pups released immediately after operation without giving it proper time to heal.
So by and large Obtaining the organs is the only motive for these agencies, which is not only causing damage to the whole ABC program but also leading to cruelty of unimaginable scale. And these are facts based on complaints from innumerable examples or people who have suffered and witnessed such things. ONE OF THE OTHER MAIN CAUSES IS THAT THE OWNERS OF THESE NGOs DONT HAVE THE TIME TO VISIT THEIR OWN SHELTERS AND the targest are set to the lower staff to meet the number of organs which have to be collected to take out their salaries, profits, etc. So the lower staff has, over time devised these devious methods to short cut money. And the trustees have no option later but to put curtain over these findings, to go on with the so called animal welfare movement.
Having said all of the above, which is apparently what many many people are saying over the years, there is a simple solution to the problem to not only make the system fool proof but also to make immense use of it to the dog lovers of any city.
Some modifications need to be incorporated in the protocol for ABC –
Instead of or in addition to organ counting AWBI, corporation should ask for digital photographs in a C.D. from all NGOs containing pictures of dogs being picked up, operated and released in areas. If the number of pictures match the organs then payments should be released. This is a ZERO cost affair, as digital pictures can be easily taken and put on comp and directly put on a cd and need not be sorted out. This data can be used by anyone via an RTI on a monthly basis and MCD or AWBI may also allot some online space where these NGOs can upload that directly on websites accessible to all.
Another benefit of this is the fastest way of locating a lost dog.
In addition to that no agency can claim money from organs of dead dogs which they do most of the time.PTS of an injured dog is common now to take out organs, claim 500 rupees and save self from treating that dog.
We would know as citizens which NGO doesnt want injured dogs and which one does out of compassion. Unless we know the differentiation we will never achieve the goal. I appreciate a few NGOs of Delhi who flatly refuse to take injured dogs as a policy as they dont have the infrastructure or compassion to attend to them. At least they are being truthful, rather than first claiming to compassionate to a dog and then encashing it.
In addition to thse benefits, all digital files will have dates and time which no software can modify. One picture of a dog being caught and second of it being released will reveal all facts that one needs. This will bring down the horrific effects of ABC to almost Nil. Even if an NGO would have released a dog by mistake to anothe location would be easily rectified by helping the person who lost the dog.
No genuine NGO should crib to this amendment, as this involves no money. Just one person (driver) clicks while catching, operating and releasing. they need not sort out all images while submitting the cd. so if an NGO operates 300 dogs in a month then 900 images and 300 organs. thats it.
One can also start an online complaint cell where such cases of new dogs coming into your area or your missing dogs can be reported online with or without picture. Then that person can search this above database and search his missing dog and seek help of the NGO in locating that dog.
This will also build a trust between agencies, NGOs and people. Once things become transparent then the hostility will also reduce.
This method of digital record has been tested during the CWG games ( except for NGOs who did not participate) where not many dogs were dislocated and records of all dogs are still on the website created by Mr. Anando Das Gupta.
AWBI, MCD and State Govt must been contacted about this change in protocol and considered in discussions henceforth. This will make ABC a perfect method of dog population control.
Please give your views, so we can see the flaws in this proposal and accordingly forward it. You may also write your recommendations directly to MCD or AWBI.
But we all must not succumb to our personal relations with agencies as it would harm the cause. I am sure genuine NGOs, agencies involved in ABC will welcome this change. it will make their own staff more accountable thus reducing their own headaches.
Thanks
—
Rishi Dev,
Citizens For Animal Rights (CFAR),
New Delhi.
Article 51A of the Indian Constitution . . .
” It shall be the duty of every citizen of India . . . to have compassion for all living creatures . . . “
