Civic body to start sterilizing dogs from Feb 15

LUDHIANA: After receiving much flak over the stray dog menace, the civic body is all set to begin with sterilizations on February 15. An NGO hired for the procedure has approved of the building wherein the sterilizations will be conducted. The NGO, Vet Society for Animal Welfare and Rural Development, plans to bring all the equipment necessary for the procedure.
Sources said the NGO will bring in a team of six experts for the procedure, which will begin soon. Nets will be used to catch dogs and an average of 15 dogs will be caught in a period of one hour. The team will work for almost two years for sterilization of dogs in the entire city. According to MC estimates, there are nearly 25,000 dogs to be sterilized and funds to the tune of Rs 2 crore have been allocated for the same.
The team will catch stray dogs early in the morning and bring them to the sterilization hospital in Haibowal. Each dog will be kept under observation for two days and released on the third day. It will be ensured that the dog is left in the same area from where it is picked up. A number will be allotted to the dog, along with its detail registration in the record book.
“We have decided that the project will begin in 15 days. There will be a target of sterilizing as many as 1,000 dogs a month”, said additional MC commissioner Ghanshyam Thori. Although the exact area for the process has not been decided yet, attention will be paid to the worst affected wards.