Greater Chennai Corporation mulls appointing volunteers to oversee operations at ABC centres

On the same day, GCC additional commissioner (health) Dr V Jaya Chandra Bhanu Reddy inspected the Pulianthope ABC facility, during which, activists raised serious concerns, including the capture of pregnant dogs, failure to ear-notch dogs after surgery and the lack of CCTV surveillance in critical areas. Following the inspection, a meeting was convened on June 3 involving GCC senior officials, zonal veterinary officers, and animal activists to discuss measures to ensure protocols are being followed.

A corporation official said, “The discussions aim to improve the quality of ABC centres and transparency in surgical procedures.” The official added, “The GCC is also considering handing over the operation and maintenance of ABC centres to NGOs, but it is still under discussion and final decisions are yet to be made.”

Activist E Martina said the Meenambakkam and Sholinganallur GCC pounds still lack blood testing machines, while the other three, despite having machines, do not have blood analysis solutions required for pre-surgical testing. These must be procured immediately, she said, adding, “When GCC is hiring volunteers into the pounds, they must also be assured job security, as many of us are leaving well-paying jobs to serve this cause.”

“Another life of a dog should not be lost due to negligence,” said animal activist G Jayaprakash. GCC must bring guidelines to take action against doctors and staff conducting surgeries without proper pre-tests or post-operative care. If the dog dies, legal action must be taken against them under medical negligence, he added.