Chandigarh plugs staff gap with ad hoc solution
Amarjot Kaur
Chandigarh, February 14
The UT Administration has gone in for a stop-gap arrangement to tackle the absence of a veterinary officer at the government-run animal shelter Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Sector 38.
Stopgap arrangement
UT Secretary (Animal Husbandry and Fisheries) Hargunjit Kaur said a veterinary officer from the Administration’s Government Veterinary Hospital in Sector 38 would be visiting the SPCA “as and when required” from now on for the time being.
Around 200-300 animals are admitted to the SPCA every month. These animals require critical care and are victims of cruelty. Going by the fact that this will take a week, it means the lives of about 70 animals will be in danger. — An animal activist
The SPCA, where nearly 2,300 animals died between January and September 2021, has been without a veterinary officer or a qualified veterinary doctor since February 1.
UT Secretary (Animal Husbandry and Fisheries) Hargunjit Kaur said a veterinary officer from the Administration’s Government Veterinary Hospital in Sector 38 would be visiting the SPCA “as and when required” from now on for the time being.
She said the veterinary officer would be visiting the facility till the time the Administration hired two more officers at the Sector 38 hospital within a week’s time. For the past two weeks, veterinary inspectors — who are not eligible to carry out the duties of a qualified veterinary officer — had been taking care of animals being brought for treatment at the SPCA.
However, while doing this, veterinary inspectors were in violation of laws. As per the Indian Veterinary Council Act – 1984 and rules made thereunder, treatment of animal patients by a non-registered veterinary doctor is illegal and paraveterinary personnel/veterinary inspectors can only pursue treatment, surgeries under the supervision and guidance of veterinary doctors. Also, causing unnecessary pain and suffering to the animals is a violation under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and rules framed thereunder.
Even as the secretary promised of a solution to the problem being faced by the SPCA, activists said the effort was not enough.
“Around 200-300 animals are admitted to the SPCA every month. These animals require critical care and are victims of cruelty. Going by the fact that this would take a week, it means the lives of about 70 animals would be in danger,” said an animal activist, who did not wish to be named as he feared a backlash from the authorities.
