Feeding Zones Improve Stray Dog Care in Visakhapatnam
The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has come up with the concept of feeding zones for stray dogs in collaboration with the Mahvia Foundation. This is the first-of-its-kind project in Visakhapatnam, and it will help to promote responsible feeding among the citizens as well as reduce unnecessary feeding in open areas of the city.
Initially, two zones have been created by the GVMC for this purpose. At the same time, about 98 other places in the city have been selected for the same purpose in the near future.
Pilot Locations Selected Carefully
The first two feeding zones are located:
- Behind the Port Hospital area
- In the IT SEZ area
The chosen spots were selected by GVMC because they lack public traffic. In addition to this, the selected areas do not lie close to any schools, hospitals, or other such sensitive institutions.
Why GVMC Started the Initiative
According to Dr. Kiran Kumar, GVMC City Veterinary Officer, civic authorities have developed such an initiative by observing that there is a trend among the people where they feed stray dogs. Although it is a good gesture to feed stray dogs, leaving waste food may make the surroundings unhygienic and may also attract stray dog packs.
This is why GVMC opted to establish feeding spots where people could feed the stray dogs cleanly and systematically.
Key Objectives of the Initiative
- Encourage responsible feeding of stray dogs.
- Reduce littering in public places.
- Improve cleanliness and public hygiene.
- Prevent stray dogs from gathering at random locations.
- Support ongoing animal welfare efforts.
Facilities at the Feeding Zones
Each of the food zones has a covered shelter where the food and water will be kept safe from any rain. Also, there is a separate set of food and water bowls at each place. They assist volunteers in providing hygienic food to stray dogs in an easy way.
Plans for Citywide Expansion
Previously, the GVMC used the installation of banners to determine the feeding spots. But since this method was not successful due to the disappearance of most banners, the company opted for another method.
The officials have already been able to identify almost 98 feeding spots through a ward-wise survey. Now the civic body plans to have at least one feeding spot in each municipal ward. Also, places with large numbers of stray dogs might have additional feeding spots.
A Collaborative Effort for Animal Welfare
This project was created through cooperation between GVMC and Mahvia Foundation. There were more participants in the creation of this project, such as the Veterinary Department, the Public Health Department, and the Chief Medical Officer. However, the corporation still works on ABC programs and manages dog shelters.
Thus, overall, the proposed feeding areas can be seen as an efficient way out of the problem. They encourage people to feed the stray animals properly and improve sanitation standards in the city.
References Link: https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra-pradesh/2026/Jul/22/designated-feeding-zones-for-stray-dogs-introduced-in-visakhapatnam
