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For a long time this association functioned as a shelter for a few unwanted dogs and cats. Until 1989, the shelter, which is situated next to the municipal dog pound, had limited activities of maintaining these animals and taking care of their medical needs. This welfare deed was in sharp contrast to the killing of nearly 150 stray dogs in the pound next door. Every single day the volunteers of AIAWA heard the whining and wailing of the inmates in the congested pound, who were waiting for their turn to be electrocuted in the most gruesome manner. This entire scenario if witnessed, could have made even an animal-hater question the sensibility of the people in authority, who believed that killing was the only solution for the ever growing number of street dogs and bringing about a control in rabies cases. But that never happened. Dogs continued to multiply and rabies cases continued to rise.
It is then that AIAWA thought that the time had come to intervene in this on-going programme of mass killing and suggest to the authorities a permanent and a humane solution to this problem of street dogs. AIAWA prepared a report on mass sterilization and immunization of these animals and presented it to the Municipal Corporation of Greater Bombay. The report was well received by the Corporation and in principle they accepted the theory it was based upon. But they were still wary about its implementation by a non-government organization (NGO) with meager funds. On a trial basis they wanted AIAWA to conduct a pilot project in one of the wards. AIAWA accepted their challenge and began work in this direction.
It was not an easy task to set up a proper kennel or medical and operation facilities in the ram-shackled shelter that AIAWA had. In spite of the shortfalls, AIAWA managed to build a small operation theatre and bought necessary equipment with help from a friend of dogs. Till this time no doctor visited the shelter. But the sterilization program attracted a few veterinarians to come and offer free service to AIAWA. This happened in 1991, the year, which set the ball rolling for an organization that had woken up from a long slumber and had taken its first step on the road of many achievements that were to follow.
Around 1992, the dog sterilization scheme got a major breakthrough. The Delhi High Court passed an Order, which set a precedent for the scenario of dog control methods in the various urban areas of the country. The High Court Order said that killing of dogs was illegal and it had to be discontinued forthwith. This Order gave a boost to all animal NGOs in the country in
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starting the animal birth control (ABC) program. The first city that took the cue was Mumbai, where the NGOs including AIAWA mounted pressure on the civic body to adopt the mass sterilization scheme for the city by handing over their dog pounds to the NGOs to conduct the ABC program in a systematic way. December 23, 1993, was a day of jubilation for AIAWA. The municipality took a decision to terminate their program of eliminating dogs, from the Republic Day of 1994. They began the process by handing over their pounds to those NGOs desirous of being a part of the ABC program. AIAWA got the main pound of 24 spacious kennels, next to the shelter. But these kennels came to AIAWA at three separate intervals.
To begin with AIAWA got 6 kennels, which were repaired and plastered so that they became suitable for dogs to stay in. Simultaneously, AIAWA was able to procure the electrocution room, where today a full-fledge operation theatre stands. Thus AIAWA began to perform sterilization on a daily basis. Under the understanding between the civic body and the NGOs, the responsibility of catching and releasing of dogs, laid with the authority. The NGOs were to do the rest of the job and meet all expenses that went in towards sterilization, food, medicines and all other overheads.
In the second phase, AIAWA got another 6 more kennels and with that the number of sterilizations also went up. AIAWA had made 3 enclosures in each kennel so that 36 dogs could be housed independently in these 12 kennels. Still at a later date, AIAWA was able to convince the Corporation to hand over the remaining 12 kennels and a portion of land behind the pound. Having procured this much, 72 dogs could be kept now at any given time and this led to an increase in the daily sterilization output. With help coming in from people, AIAWA repaired the entire pound and held its first inauguration function in March 1996. The pound had now transformed into a hospital-cum-sterilization center, catering to all kinds ailing dogs. All donations went to the upkeep of the pound while the shelter remained as it is. The 30 odd inmates of the shelter lived merrily in the dilapidated structure and the open area surrounding it. Dearth of funds was the only cause that did not allow the management of AIAWA to improve the lot of the dogs residing in the shelter.
A part of the pound was still with the Municipality. This included a room for killing puppies and four kennels reserved as isolation ward for suspected rabies cases. Both the room and the isolation ward were handed over to AIAWA in 1998 and a third round of repairing was undertaken. The room was transformed into an office and the ward was divided into 3 rooms, out of which 2 rooms were reserved for dogs suffering from infectious diseases and rabies. The third room was reserved for a cat ward. AIAWA inaugurated these new wards in the year 1999 and extended the ABC program for cats as well.
This journey from 1994 till date was made through many ups and downs but a sense of satisfaction prevails amongst all those who stood with AIAWA in its days of struggle.
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