MUMBAI: The badly decomposed carcasses of two stray dogs were found at a dog sterilisation centre in Vasai last week. The dogs allegedly starved to death as the Animal Birth Control (ABC) centre was shut for Diwali A group of animal lovers visited the centre run by an NGO from Mulund, Utkarsh Star Mitra Mandal. They video-graphed the pathetic state in which the carcasses were decomposing and also of other stray dogs caged at the centre. The activists have submitted an application at Manickpur police station.The ABC programme is implemented to control stray dog numbers. The ABC rules require the dogs to be spayed or neutered.The carcasses of the strays have now been send to the animal hospital in Parel where an autopy will be done on Monday. The police said that a case will be filed after the report is out.The matter was first highlighted on November 6 when an animal lover went to the centre looking for her stray dog. She was shocked to find two dogs lying dead at the centre. She shot a video and uploaded it on social media platforms.Angered by the video, a few animal lovers from Vasai visited the centre on Friday. Reena Richards, a lawyer, said, "The staff were on Diwali vacation and the dogs had been starving."General secretary of the NGO, Dagasu Londhe, confirmed to TOI that four dogs had died-- three due to rabies and one due to distemper (a canine virus). He claimed that none of the dogs died of starvation. He admitted that disposal of off the bodies had been delayed due to skeletal staff during the week-long Diwali holiday.Londhe said that two brothers who were on duty on Tuesday had to rush to their village to meet their ailing mother. He said the centre was unmanned when the animal lovers arrived. He also said that a few dogs were under observation for rabies and were kept off food and water.Animal activists alleged that there were around 40 stray dogs, including puppies, caged at the centre but food and water were missing. An animal lover, Mitesh Jain who visited the centre, said, "The centre was in an unhygienic state. There was no staff at the centre and the animals were starving. We were told that the staff were on Diwali holiday," said Jain.

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