Why isn't Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation using nets to catch dogs?

Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) does not seem to have learnt a lesson even after being warned by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI). Despite having been trained in the past to use nets to catch dogs, they continue to use inhuman iron tongs for the job.



A city-based NGO, Animal Health Foundation (AHF) has been using the net to catch dogs for the dog sterilisation program they initiated with the AMC in 2006. Manjula Chaudhary from AHF says the net is a much more secure way of catching a dog as it doesn't harm it in any way. Moreover, the equipment which comprises a ring, a rod and some net is not even expensive, and costs between Rs750 to Rs800.

One wonders then, if the equipment is readily available, harmless and inexpensive, why is the AMC still so keen on continuing with iron tongs? "In the past, we have used the net to catch dogs. One needs special training to operate it and the staff we had trained for the same has already retired. So, if we want to start catching dogs with the net, we need to train our staff all over again," said deputy municipal commissioner of cattle nuisance control department, Dilip Mahajan.

"We have been using the net to catch dogs and it is easy to operate. However, the staff at AMC needs a bit of training to operate it. If the AMC wants, we can help them train their staff in using the net," said Chaudhary at AHF.