The Coimbatore Corporation has initiated various measures to reduce the population of community dogs in the city.
The intervention by the civic body came after a pack of dogs attacked school-going children at Ward 84 (Ukkadam area) recently. Following the incident, the Corporation had formed a special task force to identify measures to control the breeding of dogs.
Recently, the civic body carried out a survey of community dogs, with technical and financial support from an NGO - Dogs of Coimbatore - in the East Zone, covering areas such as Singanallur, Vilankurichi and Kalapatti.
Corporation Commissioner M. Prathap said a total of 24,404 dogs were found during the survey in the East Zone. Within three years, the dog population had almost doubled in that zone. The percentage of dogs that underwent animal birth control dropped from 28% to 14% in the zone. The civic body planned to conduct similar surveys in all the other zones to promote animal birth control measures, he added.
The Commissioner also said the Corporation was considering setting up two animal birth control centres in addition to the ones at Ondipudur, Seeranaickenpalayam and Ukkadam.
Vaccination camp
Another measure planned by the Corporation, jointly with the Humane Animal Society, was to conduct free vaccination camps against rabies for community dogs.
Mr. Prathap said the vaccination drive was planned during the week when World Rabies Day falls on September 28. The Corporation had also planned to make special arrangements at the dog shelter at Seeranaickenpalayam for vaccinating pet dogs in the city.
On September 25 and 28, the vaccination camp would be held in the North Zone. The vaccination camp at the Central Zone would be on September 30 and October 2, a release from the Corporation said.
