COIMBATORE: Pollachi Municipal administration has begun the stray dog sterilization process and has planned to perform the Animal Birth Control (ABC) procedure on around 20 dogs a week.
According to a survey to start ABC procedures, in all 36 wards of Pollachi Municipality, around 1,300 stray dogs were identifed. However, due shortage of manpower, it was delayed. After a sudden spike in dog bite cases (281 patients in July), TNIE carried news ‘No vet, Animal birth control not performed in Pollachi for one year’ on August 8.
N Shyamala, the municipal chairperson said that they could not carry out ABC for the past year due to the non-availability of a veterinarian and that had led to the increase in the stray dog population, increasing dog bites.
She added, “We have roped an NGO from Tiruppur for temporary measure until we appoint a permanent veterinarian. As of now, the dogs will be taken to Tiruppur for sterilization and will be released back to Pollachi. We are planning to pay Rs 1,650 per dog. Simultaneously we are working for a permanent solution.”
A senior official from Pollachi municipality, said, “With the help of volunteers from Tiruppur, the process has started. In the first phase, for the next six months, ABC will be performed on 500 dogs. After a week of sterilization, the dogs will be released to the same area from where they were captured. About 20 will be captured every week and will be taken to Tiruppur for vaccination and sterilization.”