The Cubbon Park Canines were the first squad to be established in Bengaluru, followed by the Cunningham Canine Squad. Presently, the city boasts a total of 65 such groups. On World Animal Welfare Day, Bangalore Times shines a spotlight on the numerous dedicated groups in the city working tirelessly for the well-being of animals, particularly those that are often neglected.

These groups serve as a safety net for animals, according to Priya Chetty-Rajagopal, the pioneer of the city’s canine squads. She explains that members of these squads go the extra mile to advocate for voiceless animals. These groups play a crucial role in educating the public and empowering them to care for abandoned or injured dogs.

Mallika Ghosh, a member of the CV Raman Nagar Canine Squad, takes the initiative to disseminate essential emergency contact numbers, aiming to equip people with the necessary knowledge to respond in situations involving animals. These groups focus on forming local communities for animal care, emphasizing issues like neutering and anti-rabies vaccination, and promoting community engagement in animal welfare.

Despite challenges such as the surge in abandoned dogs during the pandemic and the temporary halt in India's Animal Birth Control (ABC) program, members like Parvathi Prabhakar from the Sadashivanagar Canine Squad have been proactive in addressing these issues by neutering hundreds of dogs."We think that neutering is the sole answer to this problem," she reveals."