In a recent session of the Legislative Council, SL Bhojegowda, a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) from HD Kumaraswamy's Janata Dal (Secular), openly admitted to the culling of 2,800 dogs. He stated that this action was taken to ensure 'the safety of children.'
Bhojegowda demanded that a "petition be filed in the Supreme Court... let Karnataka be the first in India to ask the Supreme Court to act against dogs."
During his speech, Bhojegowda acknowledged, "We also have concern for animals, but animal lovers are another menace." He then emphasised the plight of children, saying, "But you see the suffering of young children. You read about this daily in the papers and TV. It is happening every day."
He recounted an incident from when he was the head of the civic body in Chikmagalur. "We had mixed something with meat and fed about 2,800 dogs and buried them under coconut trees... let's go to jail also if needed for the safety of our kids," he said.
The large-scale culling of dogs has been reported from several southern states for over a decade. These incidents have often fueled the objections raised by animal activists, particularly in response to a recent Supreme Court order to remove all stray dogs from Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) and place them in shelters.
The issue of stray dog attacks has also been a topic of debate in the Karnataka assembly. This came after two college students in Bengaluru, both MSc students at the city's Ambedkar School of Economics University, were attacked and had to be hospitalised.
Recent incidents of dog attacks in the state have also highlighted the problem. Last month, a 70-year-old man in Kodigehalli, Karnataka, died after allegedly being mauled by a pack of stray dogs just outside his house.
Also Read: Rising stray dogs a big challenge for Haryana govt
Earlier, a three-year-old girl was attacked by a group of stray dogs in Shimla Nagar, Old Hubballi. CCTV footage showed the dogs biting her shoulder, back, legs, and arms before dragging her to the ground. She was rushed to KIMS Hospital with serious injuries.
In response to the growing number of incidents, Karnataka Lokayukta Justice BS Patil has criticised the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the civic body of Bengaluru, for its failure to manage the stray dog population. A key lapse highlighted was the BBMP's failure to establish observation homes for aggressive dogs, despite having received prior instructions from the Lokayukta.
Following the uproar and concerns raised by animal activists about the Supreme Court's order to remove strays from the streets of Delhi-NCR, Chief Justice of India BR Gavai stated that he would look into the matter.
Also Read: CJI Gavai to review conflicting SC orders on stray dogs
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