WHILE THE Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has taken steps to clamp down on animal lovers by introducing compulsory pet dog licences and banning feeding of strays, it has also allotted Rs 40 lakh for the upkeep of the crumbling Khar municipal veterinary dispensary .

BMC councillor Ashish Shelar announced this to animal welfare activists and members of non-government organisa tions who gathered for a meet on Monday .

“In Bandra, Khar and Santacruz, every second house has a dog or cat, but there is no place provided by the BMC to give them treatment. The BMC Act, 1888, says that the responsibility to treat stray dogs comes under the BMC,” said Shelar.

The BJP corporator for Khar and Santacruz said the money would be used to repair the clinic building on SV Road that was donated by Seth Dayabhai Amersey Soley to the BMC in 1934. It has one vet and offers minor treatment and vaccinations to strays and pets of the poor, but has been in a state of disrepair.

HT made repeated calls and texts to Additional Municipal Commissioner Kishore Gajbhiye to confirm the news, but they were not returned.

“A lot of people bring strays here because they can’t afford private vets,” said Abodh Aras, chief executive officer of NGO The Welfare of Stray Dogs.

“This is the only functioning municipal dispensary left in Mumbai, so we should see more such centres.” Vice-president of NGO, In Defence of Animals, Fizzah Shah said: “Since we are sterilising dogs, we want to give them a chance of survival. Now they can get, treated thanks to Shelar.” Shelar also told the gathered 100 activists that he would be taking up their protest against the new law of banning feeding of strays with the mayor and municipal commissioner and would “ensure their voice was heard”.

The bylaw, which says a fine of Rs 500 will be charged on anyone who feeds strays, was implemented by the BMC last week after a nine-year-old girl was bitten by a pack of stray dogs in Vile Parle.

Shah called on everyone present “not to follow” the new law.

Housewife Marion Therese (53) from Bandra regularly feeds 20 stray cats and five stray dogs. “I am going to carry on feeding them and ignore the ban,” she said. “No one is objecting and they are all dependent on me.”