Following complaints from all parts of the city, the Kozhikode Municipal Corporation has formulated a specific project to tackle the stray dog menace in the city. The project will be discussed and finalised in a working committee meeting to be held on October 28.
It was just a month ago that a person in Payyanakkal died after he was mauled by stray dogs.
There have been instances of dogs inflicting severe injury to people in different parts of the city. Many councillors had brought up the issue before the Corporation council several times.
But the Corporation has its hands tied with the ban on killing dogs unless they were rabid.
Sterilise
The only solution is to sterilise them and the Corporation is taking definite steps in this direction now that there are too many complaints.
The Corporation has set aside Rs.5 lakh for the implementation of the project that is being undertaken by the development committee with the help of the health committee and the animal welfare committee.
The animal welfare committee is implementing the programme under the aegis of the District Veterinary Officer.
As part of the project, eight dog-catchers have been trained at Coonoor near Ooty in Tamil Nadu.
They have been designated to capture stray dogs from all wards of the Corporation, sterilise them, and release them back into the same ward.
In long run
“This method is not an immediate solution to the problem, but will help in the long run, preventing the multiplication of stray dogs,” said development standing committee chairperson Anitha Rajan.
The released dogs will have a mark behind their ear to identify that they have been sterilised.. The Corporation has already spent Rs.1 lakh to train the dog-catchers.
The rest will be used to pay the dog-catchers and to build temporary shelters for the captured dogs while they are being sterilised, and for transportation, Ms. Rajan said.
