A day after the Supreme Court directed that stray dogs be removed “with immediate effect” from the premises of educational institutions, hospitals, sports complexes, bus stands, depots and railway stations to a “dedicated shelter”, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials on Saturday said the civic body will have to build shelter houses for stray dogs from scratch. Officials also confirmed that a survey will be conducted to identify locations and structures to set up shelters.
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“At present, we do not have any shelters for dogs or any other animals. We only have Animal Birth Control (ABC) facilities where dogs are brought temporarily for sterilization after which they are released again,” a senior civic official told The Indian Express.
There are nine ABC centers in Mumbai at present in Mahalaxmi, Sewri, Parel, Deonar, Malad and Mulund. However, these centers do not have the necessary facilities to serve as a shelter.
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A survey report published by the civic authority in April this year found that the number of street dogs in Mumbai has declined by 21% in the past decade. According to the report, in 2014, the number of street dogs in Mumbai was 95,172 or 10.54 dogs per km. In 2024, there were 90,757 or 8.01 dogs per kilometre. The survey was conducted by the Humane Society International/India, which surveyed a 930 km long route.
“Dog shelters should have individual kennels, well-ventilated floors and designated play areas. The existing centers do not have such facilities. So we need to build shelters from scratch or the existing structures can be converted into such facilities. We will conduct a survey to identify BMC properties at ward level, where such shelters can be set up,” the official added.
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The BMC may engage NGOs as consultants to establish and maintain these facilities.
The BMC report showed that while the number of dogs decreased by an average of 31% in 19 municipal wards, it increased by 19.9% in four municipal wards – E (Byculla), N (Ghatkopar), R South (Kandivali), and T (Mulund). In D ward (Malabar Hill) the population remained the same. In K/west (Andheri, Juhu) the number of stray dogs decreased by 70%, followed by 68% in H/West (Bandra West) and 59% in H/East (Bandra East). The highest population increase was recorded in the T ward at 37%, followed by 22% in the E ward.
Civic officials said the process of sterilization of dogs has been followed in the last 10 years to keep the dog population in check. BMC data also shows that out of the total population, 30% of female dogs and 31% of male dogs have been spayed. In 2014, 19% of male dogs were sterilized while 46% of female dogs were sterilized.
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An official said: “The reason behind the decrease in the number of street dogs is the sterilization of animals. Sterilization increases the survival rate and reduces the chances of human-animal conflict. Controlling the number of dogs also prevents the spread of diseases such as rabies.”
Post Covid, there has been an uptick in dog bite complaints in Mumbai, the report said. Usually, most of these complaints are recorded during the months of August to September which is usually the breeding season for dogs.
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