IDA India Uncovers Deadly Sterilization Dog Scam
Contractor paid to spay and neuter dogs instead dumped them on highway to die
Fizzah Shah, Vice President of IDA India, has dedicated her life to helping the hungry, stray dogs who roam the streets of Mumbai. Having worked so closely with animals for so long, Shah can often sense when animals nearby need help -- even under circumstances when it may be the least expected.
This happened recently on the evening of Saturday, September 1st as Shah was moving slowly along a highway through a traffic jam. She noticed a van parked on the opposite side of the road, and three men throwing living dogs out of the van and onto the highway. Alarmed and knowing that something was seriously amiss, Shah grabbed her camera, jumped out of her car, and ran over to the van, where she confronted the men.
When Shah demanded the men explain what they were doing, they told her they worked for a nearby sterilization center and were releasing the dogs after their operations. Sterilizing and then bringing stray dogs back to where they were found is common practice in India, but releasing them in such a dangerous place is not. Shah knew this, and took the keys from the van's ignition so the culprits could not drive away before being questioned by police.
Soon, traffic started moving again, and some of the 20 dogs were trying to cross the highway -- right in the path of oncoming vehicles. Tragically, Shah's worst fear came true: two innocent dogs were run over by a speeding truck as she watched helplessly from the roadside. Struggling through the shock and overwhelming grief of witnessing such horror, Shah managed to focus on the other dogs, who were now barking in terror. Fortunately, she always has dog biscuits in her pocket from working with animals all day, so she threw the treats on the ground and immediately three female dogs came forward to eat them. They got close enough for Shah to pet them, and she picked them up to check whether they were spayed and saw that they were not.
"The puzzle pieces now fell into place," said Shah. "The whole swindle was that the men work for a company that has a contract with a municipal stray dog sterilization center. They pick up intact dogs, mark in their log book that they have sterilized them, and then claim the money -- 800 rupees (US $20) per dog. Meanwhile, they do not perform the operations, but merely throw these dogs onto highways where they either get run over by vehicles, or die from starvation and dehydration."
Shah brought the three men into the police station, where they were arrested under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. Under questioning, the offenders insisted that they were innocent because they were merely following the orders of their superior, Mr. Vivek Patil, who holds a contract with the Vasai municipal council that pays him to spay and neuter dogs. Patil has denied he instructed his employees to dump the dogs on the road.
After spending the night in lockup, the three men were released on bail in the morning, but will be called into court to face charges. Even if they are convicted, they are not being charged with killing the dogs, so their sentencing will not be very harsh, and Patil himself has so far not been charged with any criminal offense. The dogs who survived the incident were returned to the stray dog sterilization center, and the municipal council has started an investigation of the matter.
1) Please write the Navghar Vasai Nagar Palika and urge them cancel Vivek Patil's contract with ABC. Since Mr. Patil works as an executive in a government department, he took the contract in the name of his wife, who has no experience with animals. Note that postage for international letters is 90 cents.
Chief Executive Officer
Navghar Vasai Nagar Palika
Opp. ST Stand, Vasai Road
Vasai (W), Thana District
Maharastra
India
2) The Animal Welfare Board of India controls all the ABC centers in the country, so they have the authority to disqualify any non-governmental organization from participating in the sterilization program. Please write a letter to the Animal Welfare Board urging them to cancel Vivek Patil's registration and disqualify him from contracting to provide sterilization services.
General Kharab
Secretary and Chairman
Animal Welfare Board of India (AWB)
Fort St. George, Secretriat
Chennai 600 009
India
In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization with more than 85,000 members and supporters dedicated to ending the abuse and exploitation of animals by protecting their rights and welfare. IDA's efforts include educational events, cruelty investigations, boycotts, grassroots activism, and hands-on rescue through our sanctuaries in Mississippi and Cameroon, Africa.
In Defense of Animals 3010 Kerner Blvd., San Rafael, California 94901 - P: (415) 388-9641 F: (415) 388-0388
email: idainfo@idausa.org