NT reporter | Panaji
Accusing Sankhali Municipal Council of “illegally and unilaterally” deciding street-dog feeding spots without following the law, the District Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) has issued a notice to the civic body asking it to revoke
these zones.
The action is in violation of Supreme Court orders and central animal-welfare law, DSPCA said.
The letter states that the rules require a mandatory joint committee comprising the feeder or caregiver concerned, a municipal representative, a DSPCA nominee, a veterinary officer or representative, and a police representative in case of disputes.
Councils must work with DSPCA and the Department of Animal Husbandry to form the committee so the process remains legal, transparent and aligned with Supreme Court directions, it said.
DSPCA said the council’s move violates the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, which detail how community-animal feeding spots must
be chosen.
The rules are part of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and “the Supreme Court has ordered that all authorities must follow them and municipality cannot act alone”, said DSPCA.
It further said Rule 20 of the ABC Rules states that feeding spots cannot be chosen by a municipality acting on its own, and must be located within
dog territories.
DSPCA said the council “did not involve the DSPCA or the feeder”, rendering the decision illegal. It also said feeding spots must be selected “keeping in mind the number of dog population and their respective territories”, and that choosing locations outside natural territories can harm animals and disrupt the Catch-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release (CNVR) programme.
