The site selected for implementation of the Animal Birth Control programme for stray dogs in Puducherry.
| Photo Credit: KUMAR SS

The Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme for street dogs will soon be implemented in the city to check stray dog menace.

The Local Administration Department had invited an Expression of Interest (EoI) from organisations or individuals interested in carrying out the ABC programme in Puducherry.

According to V. Arthy, Veterinary Medical Officer, Puducherry Municipality, “A non-governmental organisation has been selected to execute the ABC programme. The organisation has trained veterinary surgeons affiliated to it who can be deployed to carry out the sterilisation scheme swiftly and safely on street dogs. They have submitted a Willingness Letter. After a final decision is taken, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) would be signed with the NGO.”

“The city would be divided into two zones and a fee of ₹1,650 would be fixed for each dog. The fee includes catching, surgery, post-operative care, ARV vaccination and relocation as per norms of Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI),” she added.

As part of the ABC programme, sterilised dogs will be provided special care before being released back at the place of their capture after affixing tags for identification.

According to official sources, a team from Hyderabad-based Vet Society for Animal Welfare and Rural Development had recently inspected the site selected for carrying out the programme, and made some suggestions.

Presently, five kennels equipped with facilities to house stray dogs and two kennels for quarantine, in case any dog suspected of rabies or canine distemper is caught accidentally, have been readied at a site belonging to the Puducherry Municipality in Odiansalai to execute the ABC programme. The facility includes an operation theatre and pre and post-operative wards.

The Department of Animal Husbandry has sanctioned a sum of ₹5 lakh for this purpose.

Stray dog menace

The stray dog menace has become a major issue in the city and several suburbs in the recent times. Following this, several measures had been announced to tackle the problem. However, the stray-dog numbers continue to remain high.

Even as concerns persist on the proliferation of stray dogs in the city, authorities admit that there has been no estimate on the exact population of strays. The last survey in Puducherry, which was carried out in 2014, had pegged the population of stray dogs at 13,916 (Puducherry – 5987 and Oulgaret – 7929).

According to veterinarians, apart from implementing the ABC programme, proper waste management is the need of the hour as it will help address the issue to a large extent.