Dog shelter limitations

The Auroville dog shelter team issued a warning that it is only dedicated to rescuing dogs that can no longer survive on the streets due to illness, age, or accidents and that the shelter’s current capacity does not allow it to accommodate healthy puppies which people find on the streets. The team warns moreover that most healthy puppies found on the streets have nurturing mothers, even if they look like being on their own, and that the mother's milk is essential for their development.

The dog shelter team has initiated a street treatment program despite the many challenging circumstances at the moment. When informed about healthy puppies living on the streets, it establishes schedules for visits to provide food and water on the spot, conduct health checks, and administer vaccinations to those of appropriate age. To ensure their survival, the team encourages Auroville residents and dog lovers capable of caring for these little ones to foster them for periods ranging from a few days to three months, offering them a brighter future. Once the new Auroville Dog Shelter has been built, the team will be able to house and care for puppies, providing a safe and nurturing space. An adoption program will also be developed to find them permanent homes.

The dog shelter team is also actively pursuing a sterilization program for street dogs, which is the only long-term solution to controlling the canine population in the whole area. While awaiting approval from the Animal Welfare Board of India, a legal requirement for sterilizations of street dogs, it is fundraising to sterilize 1,000 street dogs in Auroville and the bioregion within a year. This requires an estimated Rs. 25 lakhs, or € 28,000.