Nayanmarmoola: Five dogs were brought in a vehicle and released in the residential area of Alampady Rahmania Nagar around 10 am on Sunday. As it was a holiday all shops were closed and the streets were deserted. Upon noticing unfamiliar dogs in the locality, local residents checked CCTV footage, which revealed the dogs being released from a vehicle. They further chased down the vehicle and handed it over to Vidyanagar police.

A complaint has been registered over the alleged release of stray dogs sterilised by the Muliyar ABC (Animal Birth Control) Centre. When contacted, ABC Centre authorities claimed the dogs had been caught from nearby areas. The police released the vehicle after receiving assurance that the dogs would be returned to the locations from where they were originally caught.

According to guidelines issued by the Animal Husbandry Department to the ABC Centre, dogs must be caught in the presence of elected representatives or their delegates. Their presence is also mandatory during the release of dogs after surgery. Dogs should be released only at the spot from where they were captured. Residents of Rahmania Nagar allege that the ABC Centre violated these guidelines during both the capture and release of dogs. The Nain Foundation, which operates the ABC Centre, pays over ₹2,000 for releasing a sterilised dog at its original location.

Meanwhile, ABC Centre authorities dismissed the allegations as baseless. They stated that sterilised dogs are released within a 2-kilometre radius of the location where they were caught. The dogs in question were captured near the collectorate and Nayanmarmoola. Authorities added that GPS tagging and video documentation are maintained for the release. However, they assured that the dogs would be recaptured if residents raised concerns.

“Rahmania Nagar is largely free of stray dog issues. Five dogs were released here the other day. It is inappropriate to release dogs caught elsewhere into this area. A school and madrassa operate nearby. Our concerns should be addressed by capturing all five dogs,” said T M A Ashraf, a local resident.