BBMP's Suralkar Vikas Kishore and other civic staff feed dogs as part of the ‘Festival of Dogs’ on Thursday.
Credit: DH Photo/Prashanth HG
Bengaluru: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Thursday launched a pilot feeding programme for stray dogs at eight locations across Bengaluru to coincide with ‘Kukur Tihar’, the ‘Festival of Dogs’.
As part of the initiative, pourakarmikas will oversee regular feeding, working in collaboration with local hotels and caretakers for food supplies. NGOs and animal welfare volunteers will also conduct awareness sessions at schools, tech parks, residential areas, and apartment complexes.
Suralkar Vikas Kishore, Special Commissioner for Health and Animal Husbandry, BBMP, spoke on the need for this programme, noting that the stray dog population within the BBMP limits has grown to approximately 270,000, leading to an increase in dog-bite cases. “Our aim is to promote coexistence and create bite-free neighbourhoods,” he said.
The pilot phase will involve monitoring feeding locations, schedules, and other logistics for a month, followed by feedback collection from stakeholders to refine and scale up the initiative.
"This formalised system, supported by hotels, caretakers, and NGOs, strengthens the compassionate efforts pourakarmikas have already been making,” said Sadhana Hegde, founder of Sahavarthin Animal Welfare Trust.
Community dog feeders and volunteers have praised the initiative, viewing it as a potential model for other cities. “As citizens, we must take responsibility first, which empowers us to hold authorities accountable,” said Pramila Vincent, a local dog feeder.
Volunteers said compassion in addressing urban stray animal issues is vital. “No human has the right to deny the existence of a fellow creature on this earth,” said Vidhya Thiagarajan, a travel photographer and dog feeder.
Around 1,500 organisations have shown interest in partnering with the BBMP on this programme.