Govt to set up animal shelters at Shillong and Jowai

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 5, 2019

SHILLONG: The state government has decided to set up two animal shelters in East Khasi Hills District and West Jaintia Hills District as part of ensuring that the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 is implemented in letter and spirit. 

The decision was taken at the first meeting of the State Animal Welfare Board (SAWB) chaired by the deputy chief minister in-charge of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary department Prestone Tynsong here on Friday.     

The board constituted as mandated by the Act comprises of director of veterinary department as member secretary and members which include opposition Congress member Charles Pyngrope, and officials from the different departments.   

After the meeting, Tynsong said that the board has discussed about the issues relating to welfare of the animals falling under the Act which include cattle, pigs, dogs and others. Wild animals are excluded from the purview of this Act. 

“We have decided to set up animal shelters at Shillong in East Khasi Hills District and Jowai in West Jaintia Hills District,” he told reporters. 

He said that the director of veterinary department has been asked to work out on the cost for establishing the animal shelters besides the manpower requirement so that fund will accordingly be sanctioned. 

The deputy chief minister further informed that the meeting has also decided to reactivate the District Societies for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) which are to be  headed by the respective deputy commissioners of the eleven districts. 

“We have already notified and constituted a committee which is tasked to take care of issues concerning the welfare of animals including stray dogs,” he said. 

Asked, Tynsong said the board has also made some NGOs as its members because as per the Act, registered NGOs are encouraged to come forward and take care of stray dogs or those who are ill. 

‘That is why we proposed to have the animal shelter which will have facilities to treat such dogs and they will be handed over to their owners and in the case of stray dogs, adoption will take place,” he said. 

According to him, the board in its next meeting will constitute an executive committee which will comprise of a small group to suggest to the board on how to implement this Act in totality.