Stray Dog Attack: ‘Stray Dogs at Jalahalli Air Force Base Were Starving, No One Was Feeding Them’

Days after a 76-year-old senior citizen was attacked by a pack of stray dogs in Jalahalli, an inquiry led by animal rights activists found that the dogs were hungry because they were not being fed properly, and alleged lapses in the enforcement of animal birth control (ABC) laws.

Following the death of Rajdulari Sinha on August 28, the city civic body has rounded up and captured a total of 16 dogs from the area. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is yet to complete its investigation into what prompted the stray dogs to attack the woman during her morning walk. The captured dogs are still under surveillance, the BBMP said.

However, a fact-finding committee that visited the area where the incident took place found that the dogs in the Air Force base were not being fed by any human. Instead, they were being left to scavenge for waste and leftovers, leading to severe starvation and death of many animals due to hunger. “The BBMP has not made any effort to create awareness about feeding stray dogs or implement the feeding directives as per the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023. In recent years, no serious effort has been made to collect dogs for ABC procedures or vaccinations. Moreover, a census of dogs has also not been conducted in the area,” said animal rights activist Arun Prasad, a member of the fact-finding team.

The investigative report also slammed city officials who blamed those who fed the strays for the incident. The report said feeding the strays was the solution, not the problem. “Feeding strays plays a key role in reducing aggression, fear, and conflict in these animals. Providing food, water, and care promotes socialization and reduces distrust, which leads to harmonious coexistence between humans and animals,” the report said.

“It was also noted that feeders played a significant role in ensuring that large numbers of stray dogs were befriended, vaccinated and sterilized in urban areas. However, no such efforts were reportedly made at Jalahalli Air Force Station, where conditions for the animals remain dire,” the report said.