KOLKATA: Dogs residing on Jadavpur University (JU) campus will soon get collars with the university name written on them so that they can be distinguished from the strays that enter the campus from outside. At least two or three shelter homes will also be constructed inside the university premises to house and feed the campus dogs.The decision to put collars on the campus dogs and construct shelter homes was taken at the animal welfare committee meeting on Monday in order to balance human as well as animal rights and to promote the culture of coexistence. JU has around 60 dogs on the campus.A proper task force will also be formed with dog lovers, existing caregivers to look after the campus dogs. Feedback from pet NGOs will also be sought. The committee also proposed to the authorities to create a fund for sterilisation and vaccination and caregiving of the campus strays, which will be carried out with the help of NGOs.“In the past two weeks, outside strays entered the campus and bit a large number of campus residents and students, prompting many to feel unsafe and insecure. So the committee suggested that collars will be put on our campus dogs with JU written on it as a mark of identity. We will take measures such as fencing or putting nets at the gates so that neither campus dogs can go outside nor outside strays can come inside,” said a source.The committee’s earlier proposal that no person should be allowed to feed stray dogs and cats within the JU premises, particularly near canteens, hostels, near university gates and main roads, to restrict entry of outside stray dogs, prompted protest from nearly 580 teachers and students, who felt “the committee wants the dogs to starve with a proposal to ban the feeding of dogs almost everywhere on the campus. No designated dog feeding zone has been indicated by the committee.”A teacher said, “The campus dogs are now fed near Subarna Jayanti, Open Air Theatre, Green Zone, behind Aurobindo Bhavan and near the mechanical and chemical engineering departments. Feeding inside the campus will continue as usual till shelter homes are ready to house and feed them. Crowded areas such as canteen, university gates and hostels should be avoided for feeding.”“The existing shelter home near the pharmacy department, which is in bad shape, will be renovated and few dogs will be housed and fed there. Proper monitoring will be done to see how they are adapting at the shelter home. If this is successful, then two shelter homes will be constructed. Preliminary, space near the Jheel and Gate one are in mind for the two shelter homes and we will propose it to the authorities,” the teacher added.
