Animal welfare body revokes Asha Foundation’s membership

The foundation is associated with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s (AMC’s) stray dog sterilisation project. Sources said the decision was taken following complaints from various quarters.

Recently,the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) had written to AMC to cancel the Animal Birth Control (ABC) contract to Asha Foundation as it lacked certain statutory requirements.

WSPA officials said their board took the decision to revoke Asha Foundation’s membership in March ‘as it failed to meet requirements of WSPA’s Constitutional Regulations’.

Namrata Chowdhary,International Head of Media,WSPA,told The Indian Express in reply to an email query: “In reviewing Asha’s membership,the International Board of WSPA considered reports from several independent bodies,including AWBI,which suggested that continued association with ASHA posed a significant risk to WSPA’s reputation in the country.”

Chowdhary added: “As per the Constitutional Regulations of WSPA,in any such circumstances,the Board is advised to terminate membership of the said society.”

She said the Board’s decision to revoke Asha’s membership was subsequently communicated by Mike Baker,CEO of WSPA International.

Incidentally,Harmesh Bhatt from Asha Foundation had claimed last month that he had sought de-affiliation with WSPA as they are not happy with their association with another international body.