BBMP aims to cover up to 4,000 community dogs per day on an outsourced basis for an initial period of one year, extendable by another year depending on performance.
Published Jul 11, 2025 | 10:04 AM ⚊ Updated Jul 11, 2025 | 10:54 AM
Stray dogs on a street. (iStock)
Synopsis: The BBMP invited proposals from eligible service providers to supply daily feeding services for community dogs across all eight zones of the city. Congress MP Karti Chidambaram noted that feeding and keeping dogs in a free-roaming state in the streets was a huge health and safety hazard.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) invited proposals from eligible service providers to supply daily feeding services for stray dogs across all eight zones of the city.
According to the tender notification, dated 4 July, issued by the Joint Director (Animal Husbandry), BBMP aims to feed chicken rice to 4,000 community dogs per day on an outsourced basis for an initial period of one year, extendable by another year depending on performance.
Earlier, the scheme was branded ‘Kukkir Tihar’, introduced as a public-participation campaign.
Reacting to the notification, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram — who has been raising the issue of street dog menace for a while — said there is no place for dogs on the streets and all of them should be relocated to shelters.
Service providers registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) are eligible to bid through the Karnataka Public Procurement Portal. The contract selection will follow the Least Cost Selection (LCS) method.
According to BBMP’s estimates, each of the eight zones — East, West, South, RR Nagar, Dasarahalli, Bommanahalli, Yelahanka, and Mahadevapura — will cover feeding approximately 12,84,560 dog meals annually. The total estimated cost of the project is ₹2.88 crore, with each zone budgeted at ₹36 lakh per year.
The selected agency will be responsible for arranging kitchens, paying electricity and water bills, and ensuring proper hygiene and maintenance of facilities. Drinking water at feeding points will also need to be supplied by the contractor.
The civic body aims to spend ₹22 per dog for 367 grams of chicken rice daily.
Chidambaram noted that feeding and keeping dogs in a free-roaming state in the streets was a huge health and safety hazard.
“Is this true? Dogs have no place in the streets. They need to be relocated to shelters, where they can be fed, vaccinated & sterilised. Feeding & keeping them in a free roaming state in the streets is a huge health & safety hazard,” he wrote in a post on X.
Is this true? Dogs have no place in the streets. They need to be relocated to shelters, where they can be fed, vaccinated & sterilised. Feeding & keeping them in a free roaming state in the streets is a huge health & safety hazard. https://t.co/plODiKMJDZ
— Karti P Chidambaram (@KartiPC) July 10, 2025
Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Lavanya Ballal Jain praised the decision and said in a video statement that feeding street dogs might reduce aggressive incidents involving them, claiming that most of these incidents are the result of hunger.
“The indie dogs that are usually looked down upon in India, are a strong resilient breed. It’s heartwarming to see that @BBMPCOMM , @BBMPofficial plans to feed the community dogs. I agree the place for these dogs is not the streets, they belong in homes , so adopt an indie,” she wrote in a post on X.
The indie dogs that are usually looked down upon in India, are a strong resilient breed.
It’s heartwarming to see that @BBMPCOMM , @BBMPofficial plans to feed the community dogs.I agree the place for these dogs is not the streets, they belong in homes , so adopt an indie. pic.twitter.com/BwhznAkKMI
— Lavanya Ballal Jain official (@LavanyaBallal) July 10, 2025
Reacting to the decision, activist Dr Sylvia Karpagam wrote on X, “Why don’t you feed the children also chicken rice instead of the bland, nutrient poor, sattvik stuff you are currently forcing on them? Stunting and underweight is almost 1/3 in the state.”
Navya Singh, a climate action journalist and founder of News With Navya, said feeding 5,000 dogs daily may sound unusual, but it could reduce dog attacks, make public spaces safer, and improve animal welfare.
“Well-fed dogs are less aggressive and less likely to scavenge or fight,” she said.
“But feeding alone won’t fix the bigger picture. Bengaluru continues to struggle with rising stray dog populations. Without tying this effort to proper sterilisation and vaccination, we’re only treating the symptoms, not the cause. And here’s the bigger miss — what about food waste? Every day, tonnes of edible food are thrown away by restaurants, hotels, and households across the city. Why not recover that surplus to feed street animals, instead of cooking fresh chicken daily? It would cost less, waste less, and serve both animals and the planet,” she said.
“This is not just a dog story; it’s a story about urban planning, public spending, and whether we’re ready to build compassionate cities that are also climate-smart. Let’s feed, but let’s also rethink how we feed,” she added.
Isha Kothari, manager at the Bengaluru-based marketing agency Bold and Beyond, said, “While this is a well-intentioned and compassionate initiative, we must not lose sight of the broader requirements of animal welfare in the city. What we urgently need alongside feeding programs are more robust neutering and vaccination drives.”
“Every other day, we see cases of dogs being run over, shelters operating beyond capacity, and heartbreaking instances of abandonment. Illegal breeding remains rampant, too. Feeding is important, but sustainable, long-term welfare needs a more holistic approach,” she added.
However, there were also dissenting voices.
“This feels more like a budget drain than a rescue mission. This could’ve funded mass sterilisation drives, vaccination programmes, mobile vet units for rescues and health care, helping community shelters that are struggling financially, initiate public awareness campaigns, and providing protection and support to animal feeders and rescue teams,” said Bengaluru-based singer Rachna Ramdin.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil with inputs from Nolan Patrick Pinto.)
