Jadavpur University will renovate an existing dog shelter and create two more on the campus where the animals can be fed, the university’s animal welfare committee decided on Monday.
The committee also decided that the dogs living on the campus would be given collars so that they could be distinguished from the ones coming from outside.
The animal welfare panel met after a section of students and teachers protested the restrictions on feeding the dogs on the campus that the committee recommended last week.
“A dog shelter was created near the pharmacy building on the campus in 2014 when Abhijit Chakrabarti was the vice-chancellor. But that became defunct over the years. That open dog shelter will be renovated. Two more open dog shelters will be developed. Dogs can be fed in these shelters,” said a committee member.
Another committee member said till the shelters are ready, the restrictions on
feeding dogs and cats in crowded areas like canteens and student hostels, and the gates will continue.
“Until the dog shelters are renovated and developed, the dogs can be fed in areas, barring the places where restrictions had been recommended last week,” the member said.
Diganta Saha, a professor of computer science and engineering who is the chairman of the animal welfare committee, had said last week that they had to recommend restrictions on the feeding of animals on the campus following multiple incidents of dog bites.
When this newspaper contacted Saha on Monday, he declined to comment.
A student who was among the 600 signatories to a memorandum that was submitted to the VC protesting the curbs on feeding said they were “relieved” as the welfare committee decided on the alternative feeding sites.
“The committee, in its May 18 resolution, while disallowing feeding dogs and cats within JU’s main campus and the National Instruments Limited campus at Jadavpur, and Salt Lake campuses, particularly in crowded areas like canteens, student hostels and the gates, did not mention anything on the alternative feeding sites. This created
an impression that the committee was trying to starve the dogs to death,” the student said.
“The committee has now decided to create alternative dog feeding zones after we protested,” he said.
Saha said dogs from outside the campus were responsible for the dog bites.
The animal welfare committee has also recommended setting up fences around the shelters.
