Identify land, set up shelters: Mohali DC

Mohali: Acting on Supreme Court directions on stray dog management, Mohali deputy commissioner Komal Mittal has asked all civic bodies in the district to identify land for setting up dog pounds, alongside initiating measures to handle rabid and aggressive canines.Mittal said the directions align with apex court guidelines on managing ferocious and rabid stray dogs. The animal husbandry department has been tasked with conducting a census of such animals and framing measures for their control and elimination as per prescribed norms.Mohali MC medical officer of health Dr Sanjeev Kamboj said Gmada has earmarked one acre in Phase 2 for a dog pound, though formal transfer of the land is pending. He added that Supreme Court orders are being examined to finalise protocols, including for safe disposal of carcasses of rabid dogs.While Mohali lacks an official stray dog census, authorities estimate around 12,000 dogs in the city. Across the region, the number is pegged between 18,000 and 20,000.The MC has extended its contract with the Compassionate for Animals Welfare Association (CAWA) for sterilisation and management. Around 10-15 dogs are sterilised daily under the programme, which includes anti-rabies vaccination and ear-notching at the Phase 3 industrial area facility. Over 2,600 dogs were sterilised in the past six months, officials said. Under the process, stray dogs are captured, sterilised, vaccinated and released back into their original territories after a two-day observation period. Sterilised dogs are identified through a ‘V’-shaped notch on their ears.Despite the drive, residents continue to flag a rise in stray numbers and dog-bite cases. The proposed animal shelter at Lalru remains pending, leaving the city dependent on a single, ageing facility, with residents also raising concerns over procedural hurdles in seeking sterilisation.