Lack of vet clinics, docs in Thane compromise animal health, safety

Thane: Security guards at the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) headquarters were startled when a man holding a sheep entered the premises in the last week of July. They shouted at him, asking him to stop, but he didn’t, and the frightened sheep bolted from his lap, setting off a chase. Eventually, when the guards caught up with the man and the animal, they demanded an explanation for their presence.

Manoj Waghmare, the man, said he was a rickshaw driver and he had brought his injured sheep to the corporation headquarters to seek treatment, as he had been frustrated by the unresponsive KDMC helpline and closure of the animal clinic at Bailpada, barely 500 metres away from the KDMC office.

“My sheep had suffered injuries on her back and had a stomachache. But I was treating her at home because there are no veterinary hospitals in Kalyan or Thane city. There is a private veterinary clinic in Thane, but it charges anywhere between ?600 and ?1,200, which is unaffordable,” Waghmare told HT. “Though government guidelines mandate veterinary clinics within corporation premises, there are hardly any services for animals here.”

“PAWS and other animal welfare organisations have held several meetings with district authorities but no designated veterinary facility has been established till date,” said Nilesh Bhange, senior member, PAWS. “This forces animal owners/ lovers to run around in search of a hospital or cough up large sums to save animals.”

Provisions flouted

The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Establishment and Regulation of Societies for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) Rules 2001 mandate that every district must have a Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals which must establish animal infirmaries/ shelters within its jurisdiction. Every infirmary or animal shelter must have a full-time veterinary doctor, an administrator and other staff. But though Thane district has a society, it does not have a single veterinary hospital, and only KDMC has a full-time veterinary doctor on its rolls.

Moreover, non-government organisations (NGOs) roped in by municipal corporations to provide veterinary services are wholly focussed on sterlisation activities, which had taken a backseat during the pandemic. So, animal owners and animal lovers have no option but to travel to the veterinary hospital in Parel under the Bombay Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which places a huge financial burden on them in the form of travel expenses.

Lack of animal census also adds to the problem, said activists, since an accurate assessment of the need for healthcare facilities cannot be made without an animal count. The last animal census by the Thane, Kalyan and Bhiwandi-Nizampur municipal corporations was conducted in 2012, they said.

Kalyan, Thane: No clinics

Although KDMC appointed a veterinary doctor two months ago, it does not have a veterinary clinic within its premises. This leads to much distress, especially during the monsoon when animals suffer due to various ailments and mishaps.

Waghmare, for instance, recounted an incident from July this year when a dog fell into a pit near his residence in Kalyan. “Although it was very muddy and raining heavily, animal lovers and climbers managed to get the dog out using ropes. But the bigger problem was finding treatment after the injured dog was refused admission at a private clinic in Kalyan,” he said. “So, I booked an ambulance for ?2,000 and transported him to the Parel veterinary hospital.”

The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) too does not have a clinic or hospital equipped for veterinary surgeries on its premises despite the growing population of pets and street animals in its jurisdiction. An officer from corporation said TMC’s current focus is on resuming animal sterilisation, which was halted during the pandemic. “Authorities are actively searching for a suitable location to establish a clinic for sterilisation, but no final decisions have been made thus far,” the officer said on condition of anonymity.

Sushank Tomar, managing director of the Thane-based non-profit Citizens for Animal Protection said the absence of hospitals creates problems for law enforcement agencies as well. “In legal cases involving animals, such as the one in which a female dog was allegedly assaulted and raped by a building watchman in Thane’s Vartaknagar area, there is a critical lack of facilities for medical treatment or postmortem examinations, exacerbating the challenges faced by animal caregivers and law enforcement alike,” he said. The helpline run by his organisation receives over 27,000 calls every year requesting aid for injured animals, both small and large, he added.

Bhiwandi: No vet

Forget a clinic, the Bhiwandi-Nijampur Municipal Corporation does not even have a veterinary doctor for over five years. Sterilisation activities too have not resumed since the pandemic even though conflicts between humans and dogs have escalated significantly. Last month, for example, after three dogs bit more than 60 people including children, locals attacked a dog, which died of its injuries.

Ajay Vaidya, the municipal commissioner, said, “Despite calling for tenders for setting up a sterlisation clinic, we have not got any response so far. We are also trying our best to appoint a veterinary doctor.”

Meanwhile, police in Neral have come across multiple cases of residents from Kalyan, Ambernath and Badlapur dumping street dogs from their areas in Raigad district. “The boundary of Neral police station adjoins Badlapur, which falls under Thane district,” explained inspector Shivaji Dhavle, posted at Neral police station. “Both local animal advocates and our officials have observed instances wherein people from Kalyan and Thane districts transport animals in vehicles and abandon them here. This is a serious concern, and we are preparing to communicate with the relevant authorities,” he said.

“The primary issue lies in the non-functioning of the State Animal Welfare Board, which is responsible for overseeing the District Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,” said Tomar from PAWS.

Bhange said prevailing challenges in sterilisation and clinical treatment underscore the urgent need for systemic improvements in animal welfare infrastructure across Maharashtra. “Until comprehensive veterinary services are established locally, NGOs and concerned citizens will continue to face obstacles in providing timely and essential care to the region’s animals in need,” he said.

‘Hospital coming soon’

Kalyan MP Shrikant Shinde said a veterinary hospital for all types of animals will be established near Shilphata at a cost of ?100 crore. “I have requested a detailed plan within eight days for this ambitious project, which will cover animal treatment including surgeries, rescue, and rehabilitation,” said Shinde.