The Cubbon Park Canines were the first squad to be established 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 sheds light on these groups, whose members work tirelessly to improve the lives of neglected animals in the community.

Priya Chetty-Rajagopal, the founder of Bengaluru's canine squads, emphasizes the important role these groups play in caring for voiceless animals. She explains how these squads serve as a safety net, taking proactive measures to address issues faced by dogs in the city.

One of the primary goals of these squads is to educate and empower the public on how to care for abandoned or injured dogs. Mallika Ghosh from the CV Raman Nagar Canine Squad regularly shares essential emergency contact numbers to assist those in need of help.

The canine squads in Bengaluru focus on establishing local communities dedicated to animal welfare, tackling critical issues like neutering and anti-rabies vaccination, and promoting community involvement in animal care. They also collaborate with various authorities and share knowledge on best practices in animal welfare.

Amid the pandemic, there was a rise in abandoned dogs due to misinformation about their role in spreading Covid-19. Parvathi Prabhakar from the Sadashivanagar Canine Squad took action by neutering around 400 dogs to address the issue, underscoring the importance of proactive measures in animal welfare.She shares that they believe neutering is the only solution to this issue.