Patna: Eight months after a female stray dog was picked up by Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) from Anandpuri for sterilisation, she gave birth to three puppies in the same neighbourhood, raising a basic question over the civic body’s Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme: were dogs actually being sterilised or merely counted and returned?The dog was among several strays allegedly picked up and returned days later without an ear notch or visible sign of surgery. Her case is not isolated. Feeders and animal rescuers across Patna have raised concerns over missing dogs, animals allegedly returned without sterilisation, relocation to unfamiliar territories and poor post-operative care. PMC figures put the number of sterilised dogs at 12,579, with over Rs 1 crore spent so far.For Nidhi, who has run a dog shelter in Patna for eight years and cares for around 250 dogs, the issue goes beyond sterilisation. “There have been multiple cases where dogs were picked up from one location and not returned there. This can worsen human-animal conflict because dogs have territorial issues and may not be accepted in a new area,” she said.She said she had also seen dogs allegedly left after surgery, some of which died, while others were returned without ear-notching or with tick and flea infestations. Nidhi suggested local feeders and shelters should be represented on a committee overseeing the programme to help track dogs and ensure their return to the correct locations.Nikita, who has run an animal shelter in Patna for over two years, alleged the system had deteriorated after an initially promising start. “If 10 dogs are picked up, sometimes only three are returned,” she alleged. She claimed conditions at the facility were poor and workers had told her that many dogs died during the process. She also alleged untrained personnel were involved in surgeries and improper administration of anaesthesia contributed to deaths.The absence of permanent identification has also raised questions over the sterilisation figures. Rishika Roy of Phulwarisharif said she had personally sent four dogs for sterilisation, but none returned with a notched ear. “If there is no permanent identification, there is no way for us to know whether the dog has actually been sterilised. This also makes identification of unsterilised dogs for future sterilisation drives difficult,” she said.Oscar, an animal rights activist who has worked in Bihar for over 12 years, said repeated requests for records from the ABC centre had yielded no results. He alleged some dogs returned with ribbons and ear-notches but did not appear to have been sterilised.Concerns have also been raised over overcrowding and conditions at the ABC facility. Rishika alleged three dogs were kept in some kennels and nearly 20 in one room, while animals were exposed to ticks and fleas. She also alleged bones and carcasses had been found at a dumping yard in Bairya, close to the centre.PMC animal husbandry officer Dr Gaurav Kumar said the ABC programme began on Sept 21, 2025, and covers all 75 wards. He said the dogs recorded under the programme had undergone sterilisation and anti-rabies vaccination with Santulan Jeev Kalyan Sansthan responsible for catching, transportation, surgery, post-operative care and release at the same location.He added ear-notching was mandatory for permanent identification and greater public cooperation was needed. Nidhi and People for Animals (PFA) had earlier filed a PIL against the agency over its lack of Animal Welfare Board of India certification for the ABC 2024 programme, though the same concerns over the handling, management and relocation of dogs persist.
