Himalaya Harbinger, Uttarakhand Bureau.
In Rudrapur, a veterinarian who has treated thousands of strays for free is fighting a lonely battle — not against disease, but against the administration.
Dr Sarpreet Singh Thind, owner of Thind Dog Hospital, has submitted every document, every affidavit, every certification mandated under the PC-PNDT Act. Yet, months later, he still waits for a licence that neighbouring Uttar Pradesh grants in a week.
With only one functional veterinary ultrasound machine in all of Uttarakhand, animals in the cattle-rich district of Udham Singh Nagar are paying the price for bureaucratic apathy.
For nearly 30 years, Rudrapur-based veterinarian Dr Sarpreet Singh Thind has been a lifeline for injured strays, abandoned pets and cattle left to die on the roadside. Most days, he treats them free of cost. Yet today, he finds himself fighting not disease, but red tape, waiting endlessly for permission to run a veterinary ultrasonography unit that could save countless animal lives.
Dr Singh, who runs the small but trusted Thind Dog Hospital in Awas Vikas, submitted his application for an ultrasonography licence months ago in March this year. His file contains every requirement under the PC-PNDT Act, a Form A, Mandatory affidavits, Machine details, Training certificates, No-objection documents issued by the District Chief Veterinary Officer, Certification from Uttarakhand State Veterinary Council confirming completion of government-approved training in radiology and ultrasonography in February 2025.
Yet the file refuses to move. “It is heartbreaking,” Dr Singh said. “I have complied with every rule. I have submitted everything they asked for. I treat strays every single day, all I want is a diagnostic tool that will help me save them faster.”
The irony is sharper because Uttarakhand has only one functioning veterinary ultrasound machine, located more than 270 kilometres away in Dehradun. Udham Singh Nagar is among the state’s largest livestock belts, with thousands of cattle and dogs requiring medical attention every month.
A senior district veterinary official, speaking on record, admitted, “Such applications must be decided within 90 days. That is the rule. Delays weaken the purpose of the Act itself.”
Another official, requesting anonymity, added, “Dr Singh’s paperwork is complete. There should have been no delay.”
In neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, the licensing process is completed online within a week, followed by swift physical verification. But in Uttarakhand, months-long stagnation has left veterinarians frustrated and animals silent victims of administrative paralysis.
Local animal welfare volunteers say the consequences are severe. “Without ultrasound, diagnosis is guesswork. Pregnant strays, injured cattle, internal bleeding, all need imaging,” saud Pratham Bisht, member of the District Committee of Prevention of Cruelty against Animals.
Dr Singh remains hopeful despite the odds. “Permission is not a favour,” he says quietly. “It is a necessity for the animals who cannot speak.”
Another animal lover Arun Chugh said, “How long must a doctor known for healing strays wait to heal them better?”
