Veterinary doctors performing sterilisation surgery on a stray dog in Guntur on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: T. VIJAY KUMAR
The Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) has been intensifying its Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme to curb the growing stray dog population in the city. Currently, the GMC estimates there are 31,389 stray dogs on the streets. So far, around 5,000 dogs have been captured, sterilised, vaccinated against rabies, and released back into their territory.
GMC Commissioner Puli Srinivasulu told The Hindu on Tuesday that the ABC programme, which started in June 2024, aims to sterilise all stray dogs in the city by August this year.
The programme involves capturing, sterilising, vaccinating, and releasing the dogs back to their original locations and is currently under way. He added that the GMC has partnered with Sneh Welfare Animal Society, which is currently capturing around 50 dogs per day. It has requested the society to increase the daily capture rate to 100-120 dogs after the Sankranti festival next week.
Mr. Srinivasulu said a veterinary doctor has been conducting sterilisation and vaccination of the dogs at the ABC Hospital. He also informed that the dogs would be provided food and medicine for five days after the surgery and then released in the locality from where they were captured.
The Commissioner said kennels were increased from 60 to 120 at the hospital and the entire hospital is under CCTV surveillance to prevent any harm to the dogs. In addition to that, the GMC has appointed security personnel and other required staff at the hospital, he added.
Mr. Srinivasulu has urged citizens to call 0863-2345103, 0863-2345104 or 0863-2345105 to inform about the stray dog issue in the city.
Published – January 08, 2025 12:30 am IST
