The Tiruchi Corporation has drawn up plans to set up three more Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres in the city. With one already located at Konakkarai, the new ones will be set up at Srirangam, Ariyamanagalam and Ponmalai zones.
Speaking to The Hindu , a senior official of the civic body said that tenders have been called for the three new ABCs and to expand the existing one at Konakkarai. “We received several complaints that the population of street dogs in the city is increasing and we require a facility in each zone to control it,” he said.
The existing facility at Konakkarai can accommodate up to 100 dogs but can sterilise only around 20 to 25 per day as only one operation theatre was available. The limited space affected the drive and therefore the plan to expand was drawn up, he added. Dogs were being caught at various parts of the city and sent to the centre at Konakkarai.
The centre in the Srirangam zone would come up at Ambedkar Nagar, at Kottapattu in the Ponmalai zone and near the Ariyamangalam dump yard in Ariyamangalam zone.
Once set up, each ABC will have the capacity to neuter around 30 dogs a day in each zone. Similar to the centre at Konakkarai, a not-for-profit organisation working to care for animals would be roped in to perform the sterilisations and care for the animals. A veterinary surgeon would be appointed at each centre, while sheds, cages and medical equipment would also be purchased. The Konakkarai centre would be expanded by creating more cages to hold the dogs. Special vehicles to transport the canines would also be purchased.
