Drive for dog sterilisation, rabies vax begins

Bhubaneswar: In order to curb the rising stray dog population, and prevent safety and health related risks, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) launched a comprehensive dog sterilisation and rabies vaccination programme here Friday. City Mayor Sulochana Das inaugurated the drive in presence of dignitaries, including Health and Sanitation standing committee chairperson Biranchi Narayan Mahasupakar, Grievance and Social Justice chairperson Binayini Jena, additional commissioner Ratnakar Sahu, corporators Ramchandra Ransingh and Rashmi Ranjan Patasani, deputy commissioner Rashmirekha Pradhan, and representatives from the dog-catching agency.

To mark the commencement of the operation, a dog rescue vehicle was also flagged off from the BMC headquarters Friday. According to 2019 dog census, the Capital city had an estimated 70,000 stray dogs, a number that has reportedly increased in recent years. With rising incidents of road accidents and dog bites, the risk of rabies infections has also grown, prompting the corporation to take urgent action. The sterilisation will be conducted at the Dog Sterilisation Centre, Mancheswar which is equipped with 250 kennels and five advanced operation theatres.

All procedures will adhere to Animal Welfare Board of India’s guidelines and 2023 Animal Birth Control Rules, covering ethical practices such as capturing dogs with nets, ensuring proper feeding, excluding sick animals from surgery, conducting sterilisations, and releasing dogs back to their original locations. The responsibility for sterilisation has been entrusted to the ‘Vets Society for Animal Welfare and Rural Development’, a Hyderabad-based organisation. The society will sterilise approximately 2,000 stray dogs per month, with the programme planned to continue for three years. As part of the initiative, a new stray dog census will be carried out across all 67 wards of the City, with support from ‘Swachha Sathi’ volunteers, overseen by BMC’s veterinary officers. The Mayor urged residents to cooperate with municipal staff and dog-catching teams to ensure the success of the initiative and enhance public safety.

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