A five-member inquiry committee, constituted to probe the mysterious death of 32 stray dogs in Rohtak earlier this month, has submitted its preliminary report, flagging serious lapses in the sterilisation process managed by a private agency. The committee, headed by Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Ashish Kumar, submitted its findings to Rohtak Municipal Corporation (MC) Commissioner Anand Kumar Sharma on Sunday.
Key Findings & Lapses
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Unhygienic Conditions: The committee inspected the Animal Birth Control (ABC) centre and found the operation theatre to be poorly maintained and unhygienic.
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Post-Operative Negligence: The report highlighted that post-operative procedures were not being followed correctly, which may have contributed to the deaths.
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Missing Records: While records of dogs brought in for surgery were available, there was no documentation regarding where the dogs were released after the procedure.
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Lack of Monitoring: The inquiry also pointed to shortcomings by the Animal Husbandry and Dairying Department, stating that local officials failed to conduct regular inspections of the centre.
Recommendations To prevent such incidents in the future, the committee has recommended:
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CCTV Surveillance: The entire process—from capturing dogs to surgery and post-op care—must be monitored via CCTV cameras.
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Surprise Inspections: Regular, unannounced checks by officials to verify records and ground conditions.
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Strict Protocols: Immediate adherence to all prescribed norms for the ABC programme.
Current Status
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Cause of Death: While the post-mortem suggested hypothermia and lung infection, the exact cause will only be confirmed once the viscera report is received.
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Action Taken: The MC has already suspended the sterilisation work by the private firm pending the final outcome of the probe.
