CUTTACK: In the wake of alarming rise in stray dog population in the Millennium City, the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) will start a sterilisation drive from August. CMC Commissioner Bikash Ranjan Mohapatra said the civic body, as part of the drive, would implement the animal birth control-cum-anti-rabies vaccination (ABC and ARV) programme soon to contain the stray dog population which as per non-official figure has reached 60,000 across the city. He said the CMC, which has a dog-catching vehicle, will conduct its own birth control programme through a newly appointed veterinary surgeon.
Mohapatra said the process for procuring necessary medicines and surgical equipment has already started and tender for dogs’ diet will be finalised by the end of this month. Under the programme, each stray dog will be kept in isolation for seven days for sterilisation and administration of anti-rabies vaccine. “Besides treatment, diet will be provided twice a day for seven days,” the official said, adding that the civic body would incur an expenditure of `450 per canine.