Telangana: Street dog sterilisation halted in Mancherial over unpaid salaries

Run by Hyderabad-based voluntary organisation Animal Welfare Society, the animal birth control and conservation centre in Mancherial serves seven municipalities

Mancherial: Operations at an animal birth control and conservation centre in Mancherial, run by Hyderabad-based voluntary organisation Animal Welfare Society, have come to a standstill for the past two months following non-payment of salaries to staff.

Set up at Andalamma Colony on the town’s outskirts at a cost of Rs 35 lakh earlier this year, the facility serves seven municipalities — Mancherial, Naspur, Mandamarri, Bellampalli, Kyathanpalli, Luxettipet and Chennur — providing sterilisation surgeries for street dogs at a fixed cost of Rs 1,650 per dog.

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The centre is equipped with an operation theatre, a doctor’s chamber, post-operative ward, kitchen, and dog conservation sheds. Four personnel are tasked with catching dogs and two are appointed to assist the doctor.

The facility helps bring relief to residents troubled by the street dog menace. Since its launch, the centre sterilised 1,821 dogs across the seven municipalities, with a total cost of Rs 29.35 lakh.

However, operations halted after the Animal Welfare Society reportedly failed to pay salaries to doctors and staff for May and June, despite receiving payments from the municipalities for surgeries. “The society was paid, but the staff were not. They stopped working due to non-payment,” a source said.

With no surgeries being performed, street dog population have begun to rise again, with dogs seen giving birth in many areas.

The Mancherial Municipal Corporation, recently upgraded from a grade-I municipality, has drawn criticism for its inaction. Officials were accused of negligence in ensuring continued functioning of the centre, even as the street dog issue resurfaces.

Civic officials said steps would be taken to address the matter. “Instructions will be issued to release pending salaries and resume operations. We will also probe the reason behind the delay and initiate action against the society if needed,” they said.