AWS Queens Road Bangalore: Report on findings point to merciless killing, not just callousness

A pile of dead puppies

This is an account of inspection of AWS Queens Road facility in Bangalore. The volunteers were Rakesh Shukla, Kelly Johnson, Levin, Mansi Yalamalli & Jayasal. Detailed photo-record at the bottom of the report.

Day 1:  Aug 27th, 2011

The team of volunteers arrived at 1100 AM on Sat, Aug 27th, 2011. We found the following

Inside the AWS facility:

1. All the doors were closed and no manager nor vet was around.
2. All except 1 van had gone out to catch dogs for ABC – this van had a puncture and was still at the premises.
3. We were informed that the manager was on leave and no records can be made available either that day (Sat), or Sunday.
4. Kennels were dirty with overbearing stench of urine. There were 3 dogs still in the nets from the previous day
5. A 1 month old puppy was in the kennel – this was a case of complaint case – but was a very friendly if traumatized puppy. No complaint sheet was available for this puppy.
6. 1 dead dog in a plastic bag was in a kennel with another dog in a net lying next to it
7. No live dogs had any water or food available to them.
8. On photographing the place the workers immediately started releasing the dogs from the nets into the kennels
9. No one could give an explanation on why the dogs were in the nets, without food or water.

Immediate vicinity of the building:

1. There were 2 small dogs, malnourished and frightened one neutered – right outside the building. They would not come near any human. We were told that the mother ‘ran away’.
2. Next door is a toilet used by the workers, and adjoining this is a disused room. This room was littered with refuse and litter, and is evidently used as a toilet by workers (there is human faeces all around)
3. This room had 10 puppies in it: 3 were barely alive, 7 were dead and in several stages on decomposition.  I estimate these 3 puppies to be at least from 3 litters.
4. We were informed that these are the puppies of complaint dogs (females) – either the females have run away or died and the puppies are left in this room by the staff of AWS. All workers were aware of it – there was no attempt made to make any food or water available to them. [NB: The 3 live puppies were rescued and brought back by the team.}

ABC/ CNVR:

Details of release & records were made available only on the arrival of Dr Piran Jt Dr Animal Husbandry, BBMP at approx 1230PM.  The following was absorved:

1. Dr Piran was not aware the dogs are being kept overnight – they were to be released the same day as per his understanding
2. The vets, workers & drivers confirmed that dogs are dropped the ‘next day’ as a practice. These are supposed to be dropped as per the pick up sheets of the day before.
3. No-one could explain how would the dogs be dropped in the right area since the drop zone of day 1 and pick up area of day 2 are different areas.
4. The staff insisted that the day being Sat they WILL release the dogs on Sunday (later proved false)

Record keeping & tagging:

1. Pickup and release:
   • When the vans came back with the catch of ABC dogs – not one of the vans was carrying any pick up sheets of the of the last day. ALL drops were made from memory of the van drivers!
2. Complaints:
   • Complaint sheets already with the staff there were insufficient details the nature of complaint or who made the complaint.
   • There is NO tagging of complaint dogs already there.
   • On the complaint dogs brought in there were 2 dogs , one with tagging number 13 , the other one with tagging 14, but on the complaint sheet there was no number
   • One of the complaints is that the dog is too old!  There was no answer on what will be done with a complaint such as this. No tagging was available so no-one could say where (if at all) these dogs will be dropped.
3. Tagging:
   • Group C: There were two nets with number C2, so which one is the right C2C 5 was missing.  As you can see on the sheet C5 and C2 are both female. One was ‘chosen’ to be C5 and the other c2.
   • Group D: There was no net with D1. The rest of the number were correct but this group had one complaint as well without a tagging. Therefor it can’t be ascertained which dog was the complaint and which one was the D1?

Surgery/ ABC procedure:

1. Workers who should only be taking the dogs out of the net are are giving sedatives and anesthesia.
2. There was one vet assistant for 36 dogs and 2 workers
3. Injections are being prepared in large numbers and just randomly put into the dogs muscle area.
4. No medical sheet was prepared – when asking for previous sheets, vets , assistants were not able to provide these.
5. The 1st dog to under surgery woke up within a minute of incision because of insuffient anesthetic. The vets insisted that this happens often and there is nothing to worry about.

Day 2: Aug 28th 2011

The volunteers arrived at AWS at 5AM and were present till 4PM. The following was observed:

1. None of the 36 dogs from the previous day had been released. All were in kennels
2. None of the dogs had food or water available to them
3. 2 dogs from Friday including 1 complaint puppy and 1 adult were still also there.
4. No dogs had any tags on them to identify them
5. One  dog was in a bad condition, losing blood from its testicles. Volunteers prevailed on AWS & BBMP management and insisted on getting medical attention to this dog.
6. On making several phone calls the staff arrived and the volunteer team ensured the release of dogs on Sunday. Else the dogs would be released on Monday. Note: Without pressurizing officials like BBMP and Mr. Srinivasulu the dogs would have not been released, nor a vet or manager would have been reachable.
7. The release was done by just taking the color, which is applied by paint on the head of the dog and which was written on the release sheet. It was not possible to bring the dogs back to the same location, just to the approximate area.
8. 3 colors painted on the dogs  were  green, blue and yellow. On the sheets, though, it was green, orange and yellow!
9. The 2 dogs from Friday, 26th & 2 complaint dogs from 27th with no records were just taken and promised to be put in a safe place.

Day 3: Aug 29th 2011

Volunteers reached at 1315 to check on the brown male dog recovering from the testicle operation. The following was observed:

1. The ‘complaint pup’ was back.
2. 5 more dogs were found in a vehicle. He had got them based on a complaint from 2 areas. The manager and drivers could not reply on how long will the dogs be kept and what is the action taken on them. They insisted it would be 10-15 days. The dogs were moved into kennels.
3. The volunteer called Dr Piran and then within minutes all the 5 dogs were sent to CUPA. Even against our insisting the ‘complaint puppy was also sent to CUPA. The complaint lodged was for  2 dogs only but the team of drivers caught 5 dogs as they got their hands on them. Out of the 5 dogs that were brought 3 were neutered and 2 were not ; one of them was an 4 month pup.

It is clear from the ineptitude of the management of the AWS facility that they are illequipped for any ABC procedure. Also the failiure is not because of volume of the ABC surgery being performed but basic lack understanding the staff  of their roles and expectations. It clearly deduced that the ABC SOP is being followed only in absentia.