Hubballi: The Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) has decided to establish a dedicated dog shelter at Shivalli village to relocate stray dogs found in sensitive and high-footfall public areas, including educational institutions, hospitals, railway stations, bus terminals, and other civic spaces.The proposed facility, estimated to cost over Rs 2.5 crore, is planned to accommodate around 240 dogs. The initiative aims to address public safety and hygiene concerns arising from the growing stray dog population, while ensuring humane care and rehabilitation.The decision follows directions issued by the Supreme Court, which instructed urban local bodies to strengthen systems for animal care, rehabilitation, and responsible stray dog management.Officials said the project would be funded through the interest accrued from the 15th Finance Commission general funds, ensuring that other essential municipal works are not affected.According to the plan, the shelter will be built on a 1,000-square-metre site at Shivalli village. The facility will consist of 12 separate blocks to house dogs, allowing segregation based on health condition, behaviour, or recovery requirements. It will also include a food storage unit, a veterinary clinic for basic treatment and monitoring, and other utility sections to support daily operations, sanitation, and staff needs. Civic officials said the shelter is expected to significantly reduce the presence of stray dogs in crowded public places and enable better rehabilitation.HDMC commissioner Rudresh Ghali said that, as per the Supreme Court’s order dated Nov 7, 2025, municipal authorities have been directed to identify all govt and private educational institutions, hospitals — including district hospitals, primary health centres, and medical colleges — along with public sports complexes, stadia, bus depots, and railway stations within their jurisdiction. The directive also includes identifying other public spaces such as religious places, children’s parks, airports, helipads, seaports, tourist destinations, and recreational areas.Superintending engineer R Vijay Kumar said that once the dog shelter proposal receives approval from the HDMC general body, the file will be sent to the deputy commissioner for clearance. After approval from the DC, Dharwad, the corporation will initiate the tendering process and other formalities. He added that the file has already been submitted to the DC’s office.
