Chandigarh: NGO Sehjeevi exposes brutal animal abuse, rotting conditions at SPCA Chandigarh
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, June 25, 2025: In a heartbreaking exposé that has sent shockwaves through the city, Sehjeevi, a prominent NGO working for animal welfare, has revealed the gruesome neglect, cruelty, and financial mismanagement at Chandigarh’s only government-run animal shelter—SPCA, Sector 38 (West)—and the temporary relocation site at Raipur Kalan’s Animal Birth Control (ABC) Centre.
At a press conference, Nikki Latta Gill, Executive Director of Sehjeevi, delivered a searing account of the deplorable conditions animals are facing.
“What was supposed to be a safe haven has become a hellhole of suffering,” said Gill, accusing authorities of turning the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) into a “Society for Promotion of Cruelty to Animals.”
Shocking State of Affairs at Raipur Kalan
The relocation of animals from SPCA Sector 38 to Raipur Kalan ABC Centre on April 29—despite renovation work not even starting—has worsened their condition. Sehjeevi shared images and videos that showed dogs crammed in 4x3 ft kennels, surrounded by faeces, blood, and filth, with no access to clean drinking water, food, or medical aid.
“Paralysed animals have been left with open wounds and untreated sores. There are no CCTVs. Volunteers have been shunned. The shelter has turned into a black box of cruelty,” Gill said, her voice trembling with emotion.
She stressed that the ABC centre was never meant to function as a long-term shelter, but has now become a makeshift prison for over 150 animals including dogs, cats, monkeys, birds, and even large animals—a blatant violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
Alarming Financial Misuse
Gill also raised serious concerns about the financial irregularities at SPCA. Out of the ₹96 lakh budget allocated for FY 2023–24, ₹92 lakh—over 96%—was spent on staff salaries, while just 0.6% went to medicines and 3% to food.
“There’s no money even for a gas cylinder to cook food,” she said, adding that the Animal Welfare Board had flagged the same issues in 2020, and nothing has changed since.
“How can animals survive under such horrifying conditions with no care, food, or even clean water?”
Call for Immediate Action
Sehjeevi has demanded:
- An independent inquiry into the transition and use of funds at SPCA
- Immediate relief measures, including open spaces for confined animals
- Suspension of SPCA operations until Sector 38 is renovated
- Disciplinary action against responsible officials
- De-clubbing of SPCA and MC’s ABC programmes, given their distinct mandates
Gill warned that the mistreatment of animals isn’t just cruel—it’s dangerous. “Releasing traumatised, mistreated dogs into society won’t reduce dog bites. It will increase them. Even prisoners are allowed fresh air—what about these helpless animals?”
A Cry for Compassion
Ending on a poignant note, Gill said, “Animals and humans are part of the same ecosystem. If we inflict cruelty on one, it will ultimately hurt the other. The time to act is now—before more voiceless lives are lost to apathy.”