Schools accuse the civic body of shifting responsibility as stray dog rules tighten.
BENGALURU
South City Corporation’s directive requiring all educational institutions to conduct a survey of stray dogs on their campuses has sparked strong opposition from private school associations. The circular, issued in line with a recent Supreme Court ruling on controlling stray dogs at public institutions, instructs schools to record stray presence and ensure adequate fencing, boundary walls, and 10-ft-high gates to prevent animal ingress. The Corporation has warned that non-compliance will be treated as a violation of the court order and could attract legal consequences.
However, the directive has drawn sharp criticism from the Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools of Karnataka (KAMS), which has urged the civic body to either withdraw the order or limit it to an advisory. Schools argue that the responsibility of managing stray dogs lies squarely with the municipal authorities, not educational institutions.
D. Shashi Kumar, Secretary of KAMS, said that schools are already burdened with extensive academic and administrative responsibilities, and imposing unrelated duties amounts to misuse of authority. “We have more important work concerning learning and pedagogy. Diversified tasks are already harming learning outcomes,” he said.
KAMS further noted that the primary cause of stray dog proliferation near schools, hospitals and public spaces is improper waste management, particularly open garbage disposal adjacent to these premises. Unless the civic body addresses these systemic lapses, expecting schools to control stray dog populations is impractical, the association argued.
While expressing willingness to maintain campus cleanliness and prevent strays from entering school grounds, KAMS maintained that the regulation of stray animals is legally the jurisdiction of urban local bodies, as outlined under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023. The association also pointed out that the Supreme Court has not mandated educational institutions or their staff to conduct stray dog enumeration, making the Corporation’s insistence unwarranted.
