MARGAO
With the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme in the commercial capital virtually derailed for want of support and attention, the Shadow Council for Margao and concerned citizens on Friday served a 15-day ultimatum to the Margao Municipal Council and the leader’s controlling the Council to sort out the issue of the dog shelter and animal birth control programme.
They warned that failure of resolving the issue shall compel them to give a call to all the citizens within the jurisdiction of Margao to deliver the new born puppies near the Margao Municipal Council building in future.
Former MMC chairperson and Shadow Council for Margao convener Savio Coutinho came down heavily on the Council for deliberately ignoring the all-important issue of strays thereby subjecting the citizens to grave risks. “It is a disgrace for the Council that they cannot pay the dues to the NGO for nearly three years since January 2021, and yet when there is any issue with strays in Margao, the councillors have the audacity to give the contact number of the NGO,” he said.
Quoting figures of dog bites, the SCM convener stated that on an average 22,000 dog bites are reported all over the State, and Margao having a sizable share. “We have had serious cases of small children being mauled up by pack of dogs on so many occasions, and yet the Council doesn’t wake up to the situation,” he lamented.
Coutinho, during whose term the dog shelter was set up in 2010, recalled that the shelter was set up as a temporary arrangement to tackle stray dogs, and it was assured by the then Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, that larger premises would be made available for a permanent shelter at the Animal Husbandry premises at Sonsodo.
We will be forced to move the court of law in support of the Animal Birth Control Programme, Coutinho warned.
Animal lovers Neville Marchon, Rati Pai Angle and others pointed out that just for the love for animals they support the shelter by providing rice, medicines, and sometimes money, but it cannot be expected to be a regular affair, they said. The Council also needs to realise its responsibility, they said.
The Manager of the dog shelter, Sandra Fernandes said even the amount what the Council has fixed doesn’t suffice even to pay the salaries of the dog catchers, driver and the vets. “Besides these payments, we have to take care of the fuel cost, land rent, etc. We literally beg, borrow and have even taken loans to sustain the activities at the shelter, but we are treated like untouchables when we visit the Council to follow up with our applications,” she said.
