Stray dog ​​attack: “Stray dogs at Jalahalli airbase starved to death, no one fed them”

Days after a 76-year-old elderly woman was attacked by a pack of stray dogs in Jalahalli, an inquiry led by animal rights activists found that the dogs were hungry because they had not been fed properly and that there were alleged lapses in the implementation of animal birth control regulations.

Following the death of Rajdulari Sinha on August 28, the civic body rounded up and captured a total of 16 dogs from the area. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is yet to complete its investigation into what prompted the strays to attack the woman during her morning walk. The captured dogs are still under observation, the BBMP said.

However, the inquiry committee that visited the area where the incident took place said that the dogs were not given food from humans in the air base premises. Instead, they had to scavenge for waste and leftover food, leading to severe hunger in many animals. “BBMP has made no effort to create awareness about feeding stray dogs or implement the feeding guidelines laid down in the Animal Birth Control Rules 2023. No serious effort has been made to round up the dogs for ABC procedures or vaccinations in the last few years. Moreover, no dog census has been conducted in this area either,” said animal rights activist Arun Prasad, who is part of the inquiry team.

The investigation report also strongly criticized the city government officials who blamed the incident on those who feed the strays. The report argues that feeding the strays is a solution and not the problem. “Feeding the strays plays a crucial role in reducing aggression, fear and conflict in these animals. Providing food, water and care promotes socialization and reduces distrust, leading to harmonious coexistence between humans and animals,” the report said.

“It is also noted that feeders have played an important role in ensuring that large numbers of stray dogs are taken in, vaccinated and sterilized in urban areas. However, these efforts have reportedly not been made at Jalahalli Air Base, where conditions for the animals remain appalling,” the report said.