- Calls to some animal birth control centres surged after the top court's stray dog relocation order
- Neighbours Woof was told not to return sterilised dogs to their original locations
- Animal Rahat Basera saw calls rise from 50-70 to over 300 daily, with some pet abandonment
A day after the top court's order on the relocation of stray dogs, some animal birth control (ABC) centres reported a surge in calls requesting rescue of stray dogs as well as people abandoning heir pet dogs, while others said the situation remains unchanged.
Ayesha Christine Benn from Neighbourhood Woof, an ABC centre, told PTI that they had been asked not to return dogs brought in for sterilisation to their original locations.
"We have been asked not to release the stray dogs we have here. Every year, we receive dogs from the Red Fort area for sterilisation, and most of them are already sterilised, with only a few exceptions. Now we do not know where to keep these dogs as their numbers will increase," she said.
Similarly, Animal Rahat Basera (ARB) said there had been a surge in calls -- from 50 to 70 a day earlier to more than 300 now -- after the top court's order.
"Many pet owners are getting scared because of the propaganda. We have received several cases where owners have abandoned their dogs, especially pit bulls. We are trying our best and will continue to work towards animal welfare," an ARB spokesperson said.
In contrast, PAWS India and Friendicoes SECA reported no change in the number of adoption or rescue requests and said they had not received any new instructions affecting their work.
"After the court order, maybe it's just the first day. In the coming days, we may see changes, but as of now, the situation remains the same," an official said.
On Monday the Supreme Court termed the stray dog menace in Delhi 'extremely grim'. The top court directed the Delhi government and civic bodies to start picking up strays from all localities at the earliest and keep them in shelters.
It warned that strict action will be taken against anyone obstructing the process.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
