THOOTHUKUDI: Shortage of dog catchers is hampering stray dog control measures in Thoothukudi city.
According to a survey conducted by the Thoothukudi corporation, there are 7,260 stray dogs in the city. However, the civic body has only 2 dog catchers. As a result animal birth control (ABC) surgery was performed on a mere 132 street dogs since January and anti rabies vaccine (ARV) was administered to 1,424 strays.
As complaints of dog-bite cases are rising , the corporation is conducting special camps for vaccinating stray and pet dogs, and ABC awareness programmes in association with a Non-governmental organisation (NGO).
Apart from dog catchers, the corporation does not have adequate ABC centres. It currently has one ABC centre inside the dumpyard premises at Vellapatti. Sources said construction of an ABC centre at crematorium on Ayyan Kovil Street in Muthaiahpuram is on at a snail’s pace.
I Karthick, an animal activist, said the corporation has to speed up ABC and ARV drives. “Officials must inform in advance the areas earmarked for special camps, so that people could support the officials,” he said. “It costs nearly Rs 4,000 to perform ABC on a dog in private veterinary hospitals, and activists cannot afford it”, Karthick added.
Speaking to TNIE, a corporation official on condition of anonymity, said they perform ABC on stray dogs at Tharuvaikulam and a Polyclinic at Pudukottai. However, the lack of dog catchers had impeded the efforts.
“Only two trained dog catchers are employed by us and it is not sufficient to handle the stray dogs in 60 wards”, he said.
When asked, a senior official said the corporation has performed ABC surgery on 6,200 stray dogs since 2020-21. Existing dog catchers had quit and a request had been raised with the state government to deploy more dog catchers. The construction of the ABC centre at Muthaiyapuram will be completed by August as per plan, he said.
