Surat: The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has started constructing three dog shelters across the city as part of a larger initiative to manage the stray dog population and strengthen sterilization and vaccination efforts.

The shelters will come up in Rander, Sarthana, and Sachin, and will house rescued dogs from their respective zones. Officials said dogs picked up from railway stations, hospitals, schools, and government offices will be sterilized and vaccinated before being shifted to the shelters. They will not be released back to the locations from where they were rescued.

The civic body has identified around 800 locations under the drive and appointed nodal officers for each site. Authorities have also been directed to strengthen fencing and security arrangements to restrict dog movement.

Currently, SMC’s sterilization work is being carried out by an agency with three veterinary doctors, three dog-catching vehicles, and six field teams. It is learnt that the agency has been tasked with sterilizing 30,000 dogs over two years.

Officials noted that a noticeable reduction in the number of puppies in recent years indicates the effectiveness of sterilization measures. DeshGujarat