New Delhi: A large crowd of animal lovers gathered outside the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Centre in Rohini’s Sector 27 on Saturday. They wanted their questions about the condition of dogs held at the centre answered. The uproar came a day after Supreme Court directed that dogs picked up to be sterilised, inoculated and dewormed must be released back in their original areas.The tension began on Friday at midnight when a few volunteers reached the municipal sterilisation centre after being informed by local residents about dogs allegedly howling in distress. They began shouting slogans and demanding entry into the facility. A few individuals were allowed to go inside but without their phones.The volunteers alleged that nearly 200 dogs had been crammed into the premises without food or water and were lying in their own excreta. Just a few days ago, they alleged, the number had been between 300 and 400. Many others added that the dogs could be heard howling and barking for hours.The facility, they claimed, had only half a bag of rice, some turmeric, a dwindling supply of medicine and no anaesthesia. Some staff were even seen beating the dogs, the protestors alleged.Soon after, videos began circulating on social media showing a frail dog, gasping and immobile. X was soon flooded with posts demanding closure of the facility. One user wrote, “Close down sector 27 Rohini shelter now. Dogs are being murdered openly! @AshwaniKumar_92 @MCDdelhi @delhipolice Stop protecting the govt, you are here for the public. We pay your salary! #SaveDelhiDogs #HouseOfHorrorMCD #CloseRohini27Shelter.“Muskan, who entered the centre around 3am, said, “There was no electricity and no fans were working except in the area where the staff stayed. We saw two goats bleeding and liquor bottles lying around. In one room, a dog had been locked up and it was in a terrible condition. It looked like it hadn’t been fed for 10-15 days. We gave it food and water and released it at the same location.”Volunteer Charu added, “The dogs were crammed in tiny spaces. Their food was nothing more than rice and water, and that too not enough.” Other volunteers alleged spotting skulls and bones of animals on the compound.The hubbub forced police to put up barriers, but even on Saturday afternoon, there were many animal activists outside the sterilisation centre.An MCD official accused a group of people of forcefully entering the ABC Centre after damaging the main gate to the facility. The doctor at the centre approached police and filed a complaint. “The centre houses 113 stray dogs. On Aug 17, it took in a dog with a broken leg found 400-500 metres from the premises. Amputation was necessary,” the official said. “On learning of the dog’s condition, some locals barged into the centre and took away the dog, making unfounded allegations and declaring they would provide private treatment to the dog.“Delhi Police sources too denied there were any signs of cruelty or mistreatment. An officer said that they had received information on Friday alleging cruelty towards dogs at the Rohini shelter. The activists were demanding release of the stray dogs housed there in compliance with the directions of Supreme Court. NGO volunteers and animal lovers later gathered at the shelter, pressing for the release of the dogs and demanding that they should be allowed to inspect the premises.“In view of the situation, inspection of the shelter home was allowed in groups of five protesters. It was observed that 113 stray dogs were housed in the shelter and all of them were found to be healthy. No signs of cruelty or mistreatment were detected. Only one dog was found to be unwell and it was already receiving proper treatment,” the officer said.The officer added that the facts were explained to the people who had assembled there and the situation defused. The protesters then dispersed but some assembled at the premises with the same allegations on Saturday.
