Chandigarh: PEC dogs removed for PM’s visit still at Animal Birth Control Centre

Ten days after being picked up as a “temporary” security measure for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s July 17 visit to Punjab Engineering College (PEC), over 25 sterilised community dogs remain confined at the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Centre in Raipur Kalan. The PEC authorities allegedly refused to let the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (MC) return them to campus. Activists were denied entry to the centre to even see the animals.

The prolonged confinement, first justified as a routine VVIP security exercise, is now being defended by citing Supreme Court directions on stray dogs — a shift animal welfare advocates call an afterthought. They point to a precedent at Sukhna Lake, where dogs removed for a similar VVIP event were released back to their territory once the event concluded.

When The Tribune visited the Raipur Kalan centre on Tuesday, entry was denied despite repeated requests. Veterinary Officer Dr Gaurav Lakhanpal said over the phone that there was no written order barring the entry of visitors, but prior permission from higher authorities was needed. He confirmed PEC had sent written communication stating that it did not want the dogs released back on the campus.

On July 27, Law Offices of Arora and Narang served a notice on the PEC administration, addressed to Prof Rajesh Kumar Bhatia, Director (Ad Interim), a copy of which is with The Tribune. The notice states the dogs were moved solely for the PM’s security arrangements and taken to the ABC Centre on a temporary basis, and argues an ABC centre is not a long-term shelter and cannot legally house community dogs indefinitely. It also alleges the MC made repeated attempts to return the dogs to campus, but the PEC authorities blocked their release.

Activists alleged that with no designated shelter for community dogs removed from institutional premises, the animals were effectively being illegally confined.

Professor Bhatia did not respond to The Tribune’s queries and disconnected the call. Dean of Student Affairs Dr Puneet Chawla declined to comment, saying that the matter was outside her jurisdiction and noting that the campus had recorded a number of dog-bite cases.

Several recent PEC graduates, however, have spoken out against the dogs’ continued confinement. “During our four years on the campus, we never faced any incident where these dogs harmed or bit anyone. They were cared for and loved by students, and it would be heartbreaking if they are permanently removed,” said alumni Nandini Singh, Divya Mittal and Saira Garg.

Another former student, speaking on the condition of anonymity, alleged that graduates were reluctant to criticise the administration for fear of repercussions, and questioned the lack of transparency in how the dogs were being handled. The alumnus suggested PEC could set up an animal law centre on the campus — on the lines of one at NALSAR University — to foster awareness and empathy towards community animals.

Udit Bhatia, co-founder of the Megafauna Welfare Foundation, said the Supreme Court had nowhere barred visitation or photography at ABC centres, and that its directions on institutional areas could not be extended to the residential quarters that make up much of the PEC campus.