Bhopal civic body undertakes sterilisation programme for dogs

Following various complaints about the nuisance created by the street dogs in the city, besides a growing number of dog-bite incidents, the local civic body has decided to sterilise dogs.

Bhopal, Aug.3 : Following various complaints about the nuisance created by the street dogs in the city, besides a growing number of dog-bite incidents, the local civic body has decided to sterilise dogs.

Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC), with the help of a team of doctors, has started an Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme under which city's stray dogs are being sterilised.

The move is expected to drastically cut down the number of dog-bites and nuisance caused by the stray dogs.

The dogs are caught by BMC dog-catchers and are brought to Aasara, a dog care centre.

Rohit Kumar Yadav, a staff member of the Bhopal Municipal Corporation, said: "Under this programme we bring stray dogs from different areas of Bhopal to this centre. They are sterilised under proper medical attention of a team of qualified veterinary doctors. The dogs are released three days later in their respective areas. It's happening for the first time."There are an estimated 30,000 stray dogs in Bhopal.

This sterilisation programme will soon control the dog population in Bhopal believes Dr. Sunila Saran, a veterinary doctor.

Dr. Saran says, ""We have been doing it in a phased manner in collaboration with Bhopal Municipal Corporation. We operate five dogs each day after giving them anaesthesia. Only stray dogs are covered in this programme."

He added: "We have adopted a zone wise approach. I am sure that in days to come, this programme will have its impact on the number of stray dogs in the city."

Male dogs are neutered through a pre-scrotal incision and female dogs are spayed by removing the ovaries through a right flank incision.

Male dogs are kept in Aasara for five days after surgery and female dogs are kept here for 10 days under expert medical care.

The sterilised dogs are vaccinated against rabbies and labelled "V" sign to segregate them from the non-sterilised dogs. By Ram Chand Sahu

ANI