KOCHI: To curb the stray dog menace plaguing city, the Kochi Corporation is set to introduce a new method ‘butterfly catching’. Recently, the Corporation was severely criticised by the High Court for its inefficiency to put an end to the dog menace.
Also, the Corporation is being flooded by complaints in this regard, especially from West Kochi. The new programme is being taken up in association with Thiruvananthapuram-based Sai gramam, a non -profit organisation .
Instead of the present method of using a noose which could harm the dogs, dog catchers will be trained to net the animals using butterfly nets.
Three experts who are adept in the method will land in the city soon to impart train to dog catchers here.
The Corporation had earlier resorted to killing of dogs through lethal injections, a practice which met with criticism from NGOs and animal lovers.
Corporation Standing Committee for Health chairman T K Ashraf said that the new method of sterlisation is being introduced following the direction of the High Court. After sterilisation and vaccinating, the stray dogs will be released back to their locality.
A series of other measures, including re-introduction of Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme, which was shelved following public protests, and necessary infrastructure and observation homes, will also be introduced, said the civic body.