Stray dog menace; Sterilization is just not bringing any result

Surat: While the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) claims that in the last five years, as many as 37,000 stray dogs are sterilized at a cost of Rs. 45 lahks, however, there are 80,000 stray dogs still in the streets. Sterilization of stray dogs is just not bringing visible results. The SMC spent Rs. 1350 for the sterilization of each dog, however, there has been no respite from the menace of stray dogs and dog bites. The SMC has set a target to sterilize 10,000 more stray dogs in the next year. According to Deputy Municipal Commissioner Harshad Kinkhabwala, the stray dog menace has to be controlled within the parameters of the law.

The Animal Welfare Trust has put a ban on all interventions barring vaccination and sterilization of stray dogs. At present, the SMC has only one location where daily 35-40 stray dogs can be sterilized. In the future, two new parasols are coming up in Variyav and Bhestan area while one anilam hostel is coming up in Mota Varachha. In total four places will facilitate the sterilization process.

Four days ago, a stray dog has injured a five-year-old girl child on AK road following which four stray dogs were captured from the locality. A dog that had attacked and injured a girl child was a rabid stray dog that died within two days of the incident. CCTV footage of the incident had gone viral and sparked off a lot of discussion on the issue of stray dog menace. DeshGujarat