3kg of plastic removed from stray dog’s belly

Ahmedabad: While citizens and civic authorities turn a blind eye to the plastic that is chucked out like confetti, stray animals are paying the price for it. In a particularly gut-wrenching case, a stray dog recently underwent surgery at a hospital run by Jivdaya Charitable Trust (JCT), where vets removed 3kg of plastic — mostly milk packets — from its stomach.
The poor canine was brought to us by a passer-by from the Paldi area of the city. It had an unusually enlarged abdomen. Initially, we thought it was a tumour or a severe stomach infection. Upon performing X-ray and sonography, we noticed something was wrong. When we performed the surgery, we were horrified. The dog's stomach was found stuffed with plastic bags," said Gira Shah, trustee, JCT. This is not an isolated case.
"We have also come across cases of stray cows carrying kilos of plastic in their bellies. In most cases, people stuff plastic bags with garbage and discard them in dustbins or in the open. Hungry strays search through the dustbins for food and that is how they end up ingesting plastic," Shah further said.
The city spews out 300 metric tonnes of plastic waste every day, much of which finds its way into the open and is consumed by unsuspecting animals.
Meanwhile, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has been planning mandatory waste segregation, while Mount Pirana — the city's towering trash monstrosity— continues to grow like a dystopian landmark.
A fortnight ago, the AMC had declared that from Oct 2025, the solid waste department will stop collecting unsegregated waste from residential societies and commercial buildings.
ENDS