Sixty dogs battle starvation and ill health in the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) dog pound near Naidu Hospital, even as the civic body dithers in appointing a reliable contractor to run the centre for the past two weeks.
Following the expiry of the contract of Vet Society for Animal and Rural Development, a Hyderabad-based NGO appointed by the PMC six months ago, the authorities have failed to provide an alternate body to take over the responsibility.
According to the process explained by the PMC officials to DNA on Tuesday, the responsibility of the dog pound is outsourced to a third party via a contract. After the third party has taken charge of the dog pound, the onus lies on them to take care of medication and nurture of dogs.
Under these circumstances, several dog lovers of the city and NGOs have to take the responsibility of dogs, whose condition is deteriorating due to lack of care.
“For the last two weeks, we have been stepping into the dog pound to help improve the poor condition of dogs. There is a dearth of basic amenities in the pound and volunteers like us have to shell out money from our own pocket to buy the necessary items,” the high court-appointed animal welfare officer, Manoj Oswal told DNA.
A visit to the dog pound on Tuesday revealed that the place suffered from lack of hygiene as bio-medical waste lay scattered across the compound. There is no power supply to the compound or its operation theatre.
“Starting from sterilisation to medical facilities, all work is being shared by volunteers like us, whereas the PMC continues to behave indifferently,” said Ashwini Khare Dasgupta, who has been volunteering in the pound for more than a week.
The volunteers accused the PMC of washing its hands off the responsibility by citing the outsourcing arrangement. “The civic body is even shirking onus of administering anti-rabies vaccination to the dogs brought into the pound by the PMC vans daily,” Dasgupta said.
Owing to lack of staff in the pound, the PMC has been asked to stop dumping street dogs in the pound. The situation assumes significance in the light of the increased menace caused by the growing stray dog population in the city.
PMC sanitary inspector Parag Raut said the matter was being discussed in the PMC standing committee meeting. “The issue will be resolved very soon,” Raut said. PMC chief health officer, Dr RR Pardeshi, could not be reached for comment.
