The Cubbon Park Canines were the first squad formed in Bengaluru, followed by the Cunningham Canine Squad. Currently, there are 63 additional squads in the city. On World Animal Welfare Day, Bangalore Times shines a light on the numerous groups in the city whose members have devoted their lives to improving the lives of animals, particularly those that are often neglected. These groups serve as a safety net for animals, acting as advocates and caretakers for voiceless creatures. Priya Chetty-Rajagopal, the founder of Bengaluru's canine squads, emphasizes that these groups go above and beyond to help animals in need, serving as their eyes and ears and coming together as a community to address issues. These groups aim to educate and empower individuals on how to care for abandoned or injured dogs, providing essential emergency contact numbers and practical guidance. Canine squads focus on establishing local communities for animal care, promoting initiatives like neutering and anti-rabies vaccination, fostering community involvement in animal welfare, building trust within communities, and collaborating with authorities to share knowledge and best practices for animal welfare. Amid the pandemic, with a rise in abandoned dogs and inactive animal birth control programs, squads like the Sadashivanagar Canine Squad, led by Parvathi Prabhakar, took action by neutering around 400 dogs to address the issue and ensure the well-being of animals in Bengaluru."She explains that we consider neutering to be the only solution to this issue."