Stray dog menace: Karimnagar civic body to launch ‘Animal Birth Control’ programme

Recently, about 14 persons including a Tahsildar were attacked by a stray dog on the premises of the Collectorate itself. The municipal corporation is getting multiple dog attack complaints on a daily basis.

Karimnagar: In the wake of an increase in the number of dog attack incidents in the town and following instructions from the State government, the Municipal Corporation of Karimnagar has decided to start an Animal Birth Control programme to check the population of street dogs and to prevent rabies.

Stray dogs are unleashing terror in several localities by moving around in packs and attacking people. Recently, about 14 persons including a Tahsildar were attacked by a stray dog on the premises of the Collectorate itself. The municipal corporation is getting multiple dog attack complaints on a daily basis.

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With the High Court recently instructing the State government to take up measures to curb the menace of stray dog dog attacks, the government instructed municipal authorities to form committees to control stray dogs and take up sterilization operations.

In the wake of these instructions, Additional Collector and Commissioner Praful Deshai recently examined the ABC centre located in the veterinary hospital here. Incidentally, this is not the first time that the Karimnagar Municipal Corporation is taking up such a drive. In 2021-22, the corporation had taken up sterilization and vaccination of stray dogs in three phases. A total of 2,970 dogs underwent ABC surgeries and vaccination in the three phases. While surgeries were done on 1,963 dogs in the first phase in 2021-22, 186 dogs underwent surgeries in the second phase in 2022. In the third phase in 2023, surgeries were done on 821 dogs.

During the second phase, local people residing near the ABC centre raised objections. Moreover, a few people complain to animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi over the death of a few dogs with postoperative problems. This gradually led to the programme being put on hold.

With the situation turning worse again with dog attacks on the rise, the civic body has decided to resume the programme.