Mumbai News: District SPCA Designates Feeding Zones For Stray Dogs In Powai Society After Residents, Committee Ignore Meeting

Mumbai: Upholding that the feeding and welfare of community animals is of paramount importance, the Mumbai suburban district’s society for prevention of cruelty to animals (SPCA) took a bold step to designate temporary feeding zones in a residential society in Powai even after ignorance from society’s managing committee and residents.

Supreme Court Order on Designated Feeding Zones

While the Supreme Court, in its revised order on Friday, pressed on designated feeding issues for stray, the SPCA designated temporary feeding spots inside the Kanakia Silicon Valley society in Powai’s Hiranandani Gardens.

The action comes after the society's managing committee members, which were accused of harassing feeders, were deliberately avoiding participation in the meeting to designate feeding zones.

AWBI Directed Formation of Welfare Committee

On June 22, The Free Press Journal had reported that the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) asked the Powai-based society to form an animal welfare committee (AWC) after one of its residents complained that the society’s management allegedly tried to relocate dogs and harassed the feeder.

One of the residents had registered a non-cognisable complaint with the Park Site police station against six society members on June 10 for allegedly harassing her on the society’s WhatsApp group for feeding the community dogs. She had approached the Pure Animal Lovers (PAL) Foundation, which provided her with legal help.

Residents and Committee Members Absent

After AWBI’s letter, SPCA tried to involve local members from the residents committee to participate in the meeting to form an AWC and designate feeding zones but none of the members participated even after repeated attempts to involve them.

In a recent minutes of the meeting released for the July 30 visit, the committee stated that no office bearers were present in the society’s office and no managing committee members tried to engage with the committee during the visit.

Temporary Feeding Spots Created

However, the committee did not leave the work unfinished and proceeded without the society’s managing committee with the help of the complainant and two local feeders stating that animal welfare is of paramount importance.

It reported two dogs and five puppies living in the society and designated two temporary feeding spots for the strays, which will remain in place until the next joint visit and a mutually agreeable decision taken by the joint animal welfare committee of the district SPCA, local residents, society management and local feeders.

SPCA Criticises Society’s Conduct

In a strongly worded criticism of the society members’ act of not participating in the meeting, the committee highlighted that society management and residents’ association is equally obligated to ensure humane and lawful treatment of community animals. It urged the society to initiate formal coordination of local feeders, to establish peaceful coexistence between residents and community animals.

“The absence of any representative from the society, RWA, or builder during this officially scheduled inspection reflects a lack of engagement with statutory responsibilities. Responsibility for community animal care is shared, and both feeders and society management must work cooperatively to uphold these obligations in the interest of animal welfare and community harmony,” read the committee’s letter.

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Mumbaikars Welcome SC’s Compassion For Stray Dogs, Question Civic Implementation

Animal Rights Activists Call for Strict Action

Talking to The Free Press Journal, Roshan Pathak, animal rights activist with PAL Foundation, said, “Every community ought to abide by ABC guidelines and the civic body should take severe action against any society not adhering to the ABC rules. All societies should designate feeding areas in order to prevent harassment of both feeders and animals while also keeping in mind that nobody has the authority to move animals from the society. There should be a comprehensive awareness program maintained in every society by the civic body and animal welfare organisations because they cannot create their own regulations.”