BBMP CD Spay Center needs refocus

Mr Vikas Suralkar Spl Commr BBMP Health NR Square, Bangalore 560002 CC:,Dr Chandraiah, Joint Director BBMP AH both sent via email Dear Vikas and Dr Chandraiah, Subject: Streamlining BBMP Spay Facilities for CD Dogs: A request for Clarity, Transparency, and Standard Operating Procedures I am writing to express concern about the current state of spay facilities for dogs affected with Canine Distemper (CD) under the BBMP's Animal Birth Control (ABC) program. The helplessness of intact CD dogs especially mothers constantly reproducing sick litters is pitiable . Tragically , many of these cases were right opposite the seat of govt ie Vidhana Soudha and MS Building . Since its last 6 months of operation we have noticed a longer time in collecting dogs, and in fact, two dogs are still waiting to be picked up after two weeks and from the response it seems that the Centers existence itself is being reconsidered as it’s underutilised!. In addition a mother dog at Richmond Squad, died this week because it was dropped back with suspected CD rather than being sent to the centre. This was utterly avoidable . While we appreciate the efforts made to establish a dedicated CD Spay Center after much follow up by us in 2021 onwards , we would like to highlight several issues that require immediate attention. With a strong 60 crore budget this year and a greater focus on compassion, the BBMP needs to walk its talk on this category. Key Concerns: - Lack of Clarity and Transparency: Despite the center's operation, there is no clear information available about its functioning, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), or metrics. The BBMP vet officer newly stationed at each zonal Centre can look at an end to end responsibility from the time the dog is received to the moment it is sent back to its location - Inadequate Response Time : The response time for picking up CD dogs has been reported to be high, with the justification that the number of cases is decreasing and costs on the center especially a dedicated ambulance is high. - Inconsistent Referral Mechanism ABC centers in eight zones return CD dogs to the streets without operating on them, instead of automatically referring them to the CD Spay Center. WHY? This is a massive gap in the chain. And there is NO explanation why this referral is not automatically done . Why would not an east zone or Yelahanka Zone ABC AD or manager illogically return a dog (that has been caught with such cost & difficulty) back to the area after few days rather than simply having the dog picked up by the designated BBMP Sumanahalli Spay center? And does it take 8 days to figure the dog has ‘suspected CD’ ? - Limited Accessibility : The public is largely unaware of the CD Spay Center's existence, leading to continued reliance of stretched rescuers on private clinics with high costs, and obviously lower center utilisation! . This is an interesting Catch 22 that makes usage limited due to lack of knowledge and then the centre unviable due to low usage ! And since BBMP chooses to be inaccessible to experienced animal lovers like us , we have no idea what the usage metrics are . The center must continue. Recommendations : - Establish Clear SOPs : Develop and implement standardized procedures for handling CD dogs, ensuring they are automatically referred by Zonal ABC centers to the CD Spay Center for spay/neuter surgeries. Train the AD s and the center staff This will see an 10 fold increase in numbers and will ensure NO intact dog , caught with such difficulty and cost, goes back unoperated. It would be a waste of precious resources, at the very least would it not? - Improve Response Time :Maintain a dedicated ambulance for CD dog cases, prioritizing their safety and preventing cross-contamination. - Increase Public Awareness : Publicise the CD Spay Center's existence, services, and benefits to encourage utilization and reduce reliance on private clinics. - Long-term Vision : Focus on sustainable solutions rather than reactive decision-making based on short-term trends. CD statistics may drop due to DHPPI injections in the next 3-5 years, but we can hardly look at shutting down the centre in anticipation of that. - Collaboration and Capacity Building: Ensure seamless coordination between ABC centers and the CD Spay Center, with adequate capacity to handle CD dog cases. Better facilities at CD spay like gas anesthesia and oxygenatora will make a big difference. We urge BBMP to also prioritize the welfare of CD dogs, not undertake a short term roll back of a much needed facility for dogs and Rescuers and address these concerns to ensure the effective functioning of the CD Spay Center. By working together, we can reduce animal suffering and promote a more compassionate community. Sincerely, Trustee CJ Memorial Trust The tragedy of this poor white pregnant Richmond Rd dog in quite desperate pain, that sadly died 30 mts after this video was taken , and while en route to the shelter . She already had a litter of pups >6 months ago and suffered terribly delivering them and was sent to a hospital . Once pups old enough , She was sent for spay to BBMP and was dropped back 8-9 days later, presumably operated. It’s only a few days ago when the dog was found, looking ill, anxious and very fat that the caretaker realised that she was actually pregnant and ill. The others, shocked by this, and on asking BBMP, discovered that dog was never operated at all and returned back as she had ‘suspected CD’ They never told the caretaker this important fact after those 8 days , whereasif we had known that or that she was still intact we could privately treated her, and saved both her life and her unnecessary suffering . If BBMP center had a good SOP, had known better, they would automatically have sent her to the BBMP CD Spay Centre and she would not have died suffering and pregnant with dead pups like this. Her death is on our heads , like so many others. BBMP systems on ‘suspected CD’ or ill dogs MUST be streamlined for RESULTS ABC for all dogs . Alternate letter The Commissioner Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Bengaluru, Karnataka Subject: Urgent Need for Effective Operation and Standardization of BBMP Spay Facilities for Canine Distemper Affected Community Dogs in Bengaluru Dear Commissioner, I am writing to you on behalf of CJ Memorial Trust, an organization deeply committed to the welfare of community animals in Bengaluru. For the past four years, we have been consistently raising the critical issue of providing appropriate care, including sterilization, for community dogs affected by Canine Distemper (CD) in our city. We acknowledge and appreciate the BBMP's initiative in establishing a dedicated CD spay center at the SumanaHalli crematorium grounds, adjacent to the RR Nagar Zone ABC Center. This was a significant step forward, addressing a long-standing concern that infectious CD-affected dogs were often excluded from routine Animal Birth Control (ABC) programs. The inability to sterilize these dogs perpetuates the cycle of suffering as the sick dogs continue to mate and give birth to potentially sick puppies, further straining our community animal welfare resources. While we commend the initial setup, we are deeply concerned about the operational effectiveness and lack of transparency surrounding this vital facility. Despite the center's existence for approximately two years under the informal overview of previous ABC operator, Asra, it regrettably remained largely non-functional, with minimal to no sterilization surgeries performed for CD-affected dogs. We were hopeful when the new administration took charge and, after persistent follow-up, the center was finally made functional with basic facilities. While we had requested for enhanced infrastructure like gas anesthesia and oxygenators to ensure better care, we were nonetheless grateful for the restart, as it provided a much-needed alternative to the double whammy of a growing CD dog population, costly private clinics for rescuers and welfare organizations dealing with CD cases. However, we are now observing two troubling trends: Firstly, there is a significant lack of clarity regarding the operational mechanisms, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and performance metrics of the CD spay center and its dovetailing with the 8 zonal BBMP ABC centers. . While we understand that Cova is currently handling surgeries under the RR Nagar Zone, there is no publicly available information on how the center functions. Our own experience has been limited, with only three CD-positive dogs successfully picked up and treated with a dedicated ambulance to prevent cross-contamination. We are now facing increasingly high response times, with the implied justification being a perceived decrease in CD cases, making the ambulance and center supposedly less viable. This leads to our second, and most critical, concern: the fundamental flaw in the SOPs of the eight zonal ABC centers. These centers routinely "return" dogs suspected of having CD to the streets without performing sterilization. This practice is illogical and directly contradicts the very purpose of having a dedicated CD spay center. We recently witnessed a heartbreaking case where a dog returned from a zonal ABC center, suspected but not confirmed with CD and crucially not sterilized, became pregnant and tragically died during her second delivery. This is simply unacceptable and highlights a severe systemic failure. The basic SOP across all eight zonal ABC centers must be immediately updated to ensure that any dog suspected of having CD is automatically and promptly transferred to the BBMP CD spay center in SumanaHalli. Here, they can be appropriately sterilized and released back to their original location after a suitable recovery period. We understand that CD dogs may require a longer post-operative care, and the center's estimated capacity of 50-60 dogs per month should be sufficient to handle the current load if the referral system is efficient. We are also aware of the argument being made that the increasing prevalence of CD vaccinations (DHPPI shots) will eventually eliminate the need for the CD spay center. While we acknowledge the importance of vaccination, this is a short-sighted and specious argument. It will take several years to achieve widespread immunity, and in the interim, we will continue to see cases of CD, leading to immense suffering for individual animals and the birth of more sick puppies. Just as we did not dismantle COVID-19 wards prematurely, we cannot afford to abandon our efforts to care for CD-affected dogs based on future projections. In summary, after four years of advocacy and the eventual establishment of the CD spay center, we are still facing significant operational challenges. To effectively address the issue of Canine Distemper and control the community dog population humanely, we urgently request the BBMP to: * Establish Clear Operational Mechanisms, SOPs, and Metrics for the CD Spay Center: Ensure transparency and accountability in its functioning. * Implement a Mandatory SOP Across All Eight Zonal ABC Centers : Any dog suspected of having CD must be automatically transferred to the CD spay center for sterilization. * Maintain the Dedicated Ambulance Service for CD Dog Pick-up and Drop-off: The sensitivity of these cases warrants a dedicated transport mechanism to prevent cross-contamination. * Publicize the Existence and Services of the CD Spay Center : Awareness among rescuers and the public is crucial for its effective utilization. * Reassess and Potentially Enhance the Facilities at the CD Spay Cente r: Consider incorporating better equipment like gas anesthesia and oxygenators for improved surgical outcomes and post-operative care. * Adopt a Long-Term Vision for CD Manageme nt: Do not prematurely discontinue services based on projected declines in cases. The death of community dogs due to preventable circumstances like the one we described is a matter of grave concern and reflects poorly on our collective efforts towards animal welfare. We urge you to take immediate and decisive action to streamline the operations of the CD spay center and implement the necessary SOPs to ensure that all community dogs, including those affected by Canine Distemper, receive the care and sterilization they desperately need. We would appreciate the opportunity to discuss these issues further and offer our support in developing and implementing effective solutions. Thank you for your time and consideration of this critical matter. Sincerely, Trustee CJ Memorial Trust Bengaluru