The Cubbon Park Canines was the very first squad to be established in Bengaluru, followed by the Cunningham Canine Squad. Today, there are an additional 63 squads in the city. On World Animal Welfare Day, Bangalore Times shines a light on the numerous groups in the city dedicated to improving the lives of animals, particularly those that are often neglected.

Founder of the city's canine squads, Priya Chetty-Rajagopal, highlights how these groups serve as a safety net for animals, acting as their advocates. She emphasizes the importance of empowering people with the knowledge needed to care for these voiceless creatures in need.

Many individuals are unsure how to react to abandoned or injured dogs, which is where these groups step in to educate and guide them. Mallika Ghosh from the CV Raman Nagar Canine Squad regularly shares essential emergency contact numbers to increase awareness and help people know how to respond in such situations.

The canine squads focus on establishing local communities for animal care, promoting initiatives like neutering and anti-rabies vaccination, and encouraging community involvement in animal welfare. They also work closely with authorities such as the BBMP, State Animal Welfare Board, and police to share knowledge and best practices on various issues related to animal welfare.

One of the main goals of these groups is to neuter as many dogs as possible in Bengaluru. During the pandemic, there was a rise in abandoned dogs due to misinformation about them spreading Covid-19, coupled with the halt of India's Animal Birth Control (ABC) program. To address this, members like Parvathi Prabhakar from the Sadashivanagar Canine Squad took action by neutering approximately 400 dogs to combat the issue.She asserts that neutering is the sole resolution to this problem.