Saint Martin’s gets country’s first permanent shelter for stray dogs

In an initiative to protect animal welfare and maintain ecological balance, Bangladesh’s first permanent stray dog shelter has been established on St Martin’s Island at a cost of Tk 1 crore.

The voluntary organisation Bidyanondo Foundation established the initiative to provide safe shelter, medical care, and population control for over 4,000 stray dogs currently inhabiting the coral island.

Two young women from Germany and Peru have also joined the initiative, driven by their concern for the animals. Jalpia from Germany and Jessica Maria from Peru have joined the initiative on St Martin’s Island to improve conditions for stray dogs.

According to residents, the island has more than 4,000 stray dogs, but limited resources make it difficult to provide adequate food and medical care. Many suffer from malnutrition and diseases, while some die without treatment. Residents also struggle to care for the large dog population.

The shelter provides food and medical treatment and conducts sterilisation to prevent uncontrolled breeding. Its organisers expect the programme to gradually reduce the dog population and ease pressure on food and medical resources.

Maria from Peru said female dogs can give birth several times a year, causing their population to grow rapidly and making sterilisation essential.

She added that many dogs suffer from tumours and skin diseases, making improved medical care crucial to easing their pain.

Jalpia said sick dogs are being rescued from the streets and brought to the shelter for treatment and recovery, while sterilisation is being carried out to gradually control the population.

Reducing the dog population would also ease pressure on limited food, medical care and other resources, she said.

Jalpia said she has heard that the island once had an even larger stray dog population, leaving many animals to suffer. Although sterilisation and treatment were gradually improving the situation, many dogs remained sick.

She said the problems cannot be solved all at once, but efforts to treat the animals one by one must continue.

Bidyanondo Foundation Chairman Kishore Kumar Das formally inaugurated the shelter yesterday (1 November). He said the neglected condition of stray dogs and incidents of several dogs being brutally killed had deeply affected him during a visit to St Martin’s Island.

The experience made him realise the need for a safe shelter for the animals, he said.

He added that while many people talk about stray dogs and some even run businesses around the issue, few take effective, long-term initiatives to address the problem.

He said temporary food and medical support will not be enough, stressing the need for a permanent and humane system to care for the animals.

Maintaining a balance between the island’s environment, residents and animals is another key objective, he said. The foundation aims to provide the dogs with safe shelter and reduce their suffering in the long term.

The facility has 20 shelters, each accommodating up to 12 dogs, with two veterinarians overseeing their medical treatment and care.

Organisers hope the shelter will reduce the suffering of stray dogs on St Martin’s Island and promote humane coexistence between people and animals through planned treatment and sterilisation programmes.