1,000 stray dogs to be sterilised in Ludhiana

LUDHIANA: The district administration has on Friday decided to sterilise 1000 stray dogs every month in the district to control their unwanted growing population.
The decision was taken in a meeting of Ludhiana deputy commissioner Anurag Verma convened to prepare a comprehensive plan to check the menace of stray dogs. The representatives of Municipal Corporation, District Development and Panchayats Department, Animal Husbandry Department and local unit of NGO People For Animals (PFA).
The consensus to draw the sterilisation programme was reached after PFA representatives contended that killing of stray dogs was illegal.They referred to the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2001, according to which if Municipal Corporation or the local authority thinks it expedient, it can opt for sterilisation and immunisation by involving animal welfare organisations.
As per the decision, about 250 dogs of the total monthly target will be sterilized in the areas under the jurisdiction of Municipal Corporation and Municipal committees while 750 dogs will be sterilized in the rural areas. Notably, a man died this week at Lalton village reportedly after he was bitten by a mad dog.
Verma informed that non availability of funds with the animal husbandry department was the major hurdle in the implementation of this programme.
On an average each sterilization operation will cost about Rs 500. It was decided that local bodies would bear this cost. The Animal Husbandry department will be responsible for their proper sterilization, vaccination and post-operative care.
The District Development and Panchayats Officer has been directed to convene a special meeting of all the Block Development and Panchayats Officers (BDPOs) to accord top priority to this programme. BDPOs will be asked to take up on priority the areas near the ''Hadda Roris'' because large number of stray dogs normally converge at such places. The Panchayats will erect boundary walls wherever funds are available, Verma said.