The Cubbon Park Canines were the first squad formed in Bengaluru, followed by the Cunningham Canine Squad. Today, the city boasts a total of 63 squads dedicated to animal welfare. On World Animal Welfare Day, Bangalore Times highlights the city’s numerous groups committed to improving the lives of animals, particularly those in need of care and attention.

Founder of the city’s canine squads, Priya Chetty-Rajagopal, emphasizes that these groups serve as a vital support system for animals in need. She explains that the members go above and beyond to assist vulnerable animals, acting as their advocates in the community. The primary goal is to share knowledge and empower people to care for animals better.

Many individuals are unsure of how to respond to abandoned or injured dogs, which is where these squads come in. Members like Mallika Ghosh of the CV Raman Nagar Canine Squad regularly provide essential emergency contact numbers and educate the public on proper animal care practices.

The canine squads in Bengaluru focus on creating local communities dedicated to animal welfare, tackling critical issues like neutering and vaccinations, promoting community engagement, building trust, and collaborating with relevant authorities. These groups also share knowledge and best practices related to animal welfare, including neutering, abuse prevention, rescue operations, and cruelty prevention.

Parvathi Prabhakar from the Sadashivanagar Canine Squad took proactive steps during the pandemic to address the rising number of abandoned dogs. She led efforts to neuter around 400 dogs to mitigate the issue caused by misinformation and the inactive Animal Birth Control (ABC) program in India.She expresses that neutering is the sole solution to this issue.