A tide of dog attack incidents in Visakhapatnam in recent months has caused fear and alarm among residents. Notwithstanding sterilisation efforts by the municipal corporation, questions are being raised about the efficacy of its Animal Birth Control programme. B. Madhu Gopal explores the delicate balance between public safety and welfare of the city’s stray dog population
On March 4, four children playing on the street were attacked by a stray dog in the Vadlapudi area of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. They were treated at the local primary health centre.
Last September, a three-year-old boy was attacked by a pack of stray dogs at a construction site in VUDA Nagar, near Duvvada in the city. His parents, working nearby, swooped in to rescue him, averting grave danger to his life. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was administered an immunoglobulin injection followed by anti-rabies vaccination.
These incidents have reignited concern and anger among people, leading many to ponder upon how man’s best friend is fast turning into his worst enemy. Traditionally cherished as loyal companions, dogs are increasingly being viewed with fear and suspicion as cases of dog bites and attacks emerge with alarming frequency nationwide.
The gravity of the situation is evident in the rising cases of rabies. In 2023, eight people, admitted to the Government Hospital for Chest and Communicable Diseases (GHCCD) in Visakhapatnam, succumbed to dog attacks. Now, in the first quarter of this year, the toll has already reached five, painting a grim picture of an escalating public health crisis.
Sometimes, the presence of stray dogs offers a comfort to solitary road users on deserted streets. But for others, it often gets daunting, especially after dark. Residents of many colonies have expressed concern over the unchecked population of stray dogs, citing instances of canines chasing two-wheeler users at street corners, leading to accidents, and even unprovoked attacks on children and the elderly.
Subba Raju, an employee of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, recalls how he was bitten by a stray dog recently outside his home at Rajiv Nagar, Kurmannapalem, a buzzing neighbourhood in Visakhapatnam, while he was starting his motorbike. “There are over a dozen stray dogs in our street and just a few months ago, they had litters of puppies,” says Raju’s wife Sridevi, who runs a chicken shop in the area.
Stray dogs, driven by desperation amidst scarcity, often resort to extreme measures in their search for sustenance. With limited access to food sources, they frequently scavenge through garbage bins, alleys, and outside halls used for social events. The summer season exacerbates their plight, leading them to drink from drains or puddles to quench their thirst. “At times, they attack piglets when their mother is away scavenging for food,” says K. Eswar, a resident of VUDA Nagar, Kurmannapalem.
Tagging and taming
With an estimated 1.20 lakh dogs across the 98 wards of Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), sterilisation efforts have been extensive, asserts GVMC Veterinary Officer N. Kishore, adding that as many as 98,834 dogs have been sterilised over the past three years as part of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme. As per protocol, these dogs, regardless of gender, are tagged on their ear post-ABC surgery.
This system facilitates distinction by dog catchers and even others, he explains.
“We have covered most areas in the city, except a few outlying parts such as Anakapalli, Pendurthi, and Bheemunipatnam. The surgeries are 100% successful and the chance of dogs giving birth after the ABC surgery can almost be ruled out. In the past, the task of sterilisation used to be done by the Visakha Society for Protection and Care of Animals(VSPCA) alone. Now, we at GVMC, have five veterinarians, including two regular and three contractual, who undertake these surgeries,” says Dr. Kishore.
Over the past two months, 100 ABC surgeries have been done on a daily basis in the city. “GVMC Commissioner C.M. Saikanth Varma has directed us to increase the number of sterilisations and perform surgeries on canines in all eight zones of the GVMC. The corporation has enlisted the services of four more vets in this regard. They will be paid for each sterilisation,” he adds.
The GVMC Veterinary Officer says more kennels are required to ensure post-operative care of the sterilised dogs. “They should be kept in an aseptic condition for at least four to five days. Releasing the dogs back into their respective localities soon after the surgery is risky. They may scratch the stitches, making the surgery ineffective,” he points out.
The minimum age for a dog to be sterilised is 18 months. “But the best option is to perform ABC after the first delivery as there would be full growth of the uterus,” says Dr. Kishore.
In March 2016, the Supreme Court directed all States to sterilise and vaccinate stray dogs under the supervision of Animal Welfare Board of India to control their population and the spread of rabies. The apex court’s decision came in response to the submission of the amicus curiae — the senior lawyer assisting the court — that dogs were not being sterilised by authorities, either because of lack of funds or apathy.
“There is no shortage of funds, and the shortage of veterinary doctors and inadequate number of kennels to provide post-operative care to the dogs is being addressed by hiring veterinary doctors on temporary basis. The municipal corporation, at present, has 90 kennels and has recently placed orders for 30 more,” says an official of GVMC.
In 2001, the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules were introduced, mandating the sterilisation and immunisation of stray dogs in collaboration with animal welfare organisations, private individuals, and local authorities. While the rules did not explicitly address euthanising stray dogs, exceptions were made for those deemed “incurably ill” or “mortally wounded”. “Around 2% of the dogs, suffering with incurable diseases, are being euthanised in consultation with animal rights organisations in Visakhapatnam,” the GVMC Veterinary Officer says.
“The GVMC should appoint a committee to tackle the issue with the support of voluntary organisations, civic officials, police, lawyers, and city residents. The committee should come out with a comprehensive plan for sterilisation of the canines and feeding and quenching the thirst of stray dogs, ensuring that every dog is covered,” says N. Nageswara Rao, a dog lover, residing at Kailasapuram in the city.
Bone of contention
Founder president of VSPCA, Pradeep Nath, alleges that the ABC programme is not as successful as the GVMC claims. “The number of puppies is increasing, of late, and this indicates their failure. The surgeries should be done for 70% female dogs and 30% male dogs for the programme to be effective. They should involve animal rights organisations for good results,” he says.
Nath also says that the GVMC is not following standard operating procedures: “The ABC units of GVMC are operated by contract staff, and they do not seem to have proper coordination. The unit should have quarantine facilities, and a shelter manager should be appointed to ensure proper coordination among various teams like veterinary unit, cooking unit and dog catching unit. Post-operative care should be ensured, and the dog concerned should be released back in the same place.”
For the ABC programme to be successful, the government should conduct a proper survey to arrive at the population of stray dogs, implement strict rules to prevent abandonment of pet dogs, and regularly hold monitoring committee meetings, he suggests.
Rabies prevention awareness
“Rabies, a deadly viral disease, is transmitted through the bite of infected animals such as dogs, cats, monkeys, and bats. It is less likely to be caused by rats and mice as they are unlikely to survive after being attacked by a rabid dog. In India, dog bites are the leading cause of rabies cases, while bats pose the greatest risk in the Western world. Immediate medical attention is crucial for people bitten by a dog, cat or monkey, and they must receive the Anti Rabies Vaccine (ARV),” says Dr. P. Bala Kalyani, in-charge Civil Assistant Surgeon at GHCCD.
There is no treatment for rabies once symptoms develop in the human body. A dog usually dies within 10 to 14 days of becoming sick. It is imperative to keep both the infected dog and the victim under observation, with the victim isolated to prevent transmission of the virus through saliva, says Dr. Kalyani.
“The incubation period of the virus ranges from one to three months, but in some cases, it may range from several days to years after exposure. An infected person who fails to take the ARV/ Rabies Immunoglobulins (RIG) or the full course of injections may develop rabies. The first symptoms include a tingling sensation and itching around the bite area, fever, headache, nausea and tiredness. After a few days, neurological symptoms like irritability and aggressiveness set in. The incubation period from bite to the appearance of clinical symptoms of rabies may vary from days to six months,” she says.
Over the past decade, the following numbers of rabies deaths were reported at the GHCCD: 22 in 2013-14; five in 2014-15; 15 in 2015-16; 21 in 2016-17; 16 in 2017-18; five in 2018-19; 18 in 2021-22; and eight in 2022-23. Rabies cases were not admitted to the hospital during 2019-20 and 2020-21 as the GHCCD had been converted into a COVID-19 facility.
“Rabies is an RNA-enveloped virus, which is bullet-shaped. The virus enters the human body when an infected animal bites a human. It enters through the nerves, reaches the brain, and multiplies there. It spreads to various organs like the salivary glands, skin in the nape of the neck and cornea,” says Dr. Kalyani.
Even scratches or the licking of wounds of a person by an infected dog can transmit the virus. However, due to lack of awareness, many victims of dog bites, particularly those in rural areas, forego vaccination on the pretext that the bite isn’t severe enough to warrant ‘painful’ injections associated with rabies prevention. Instead, they rely on simple antiseptic ointments or native medicines, unaware of the potential risks posed by the virus. As a result, victims often seek hospital care in advanced stages of infection, when treatment options are limited, and death imminent, she says.
“Our hospital is fully equipped to isolate rabies patients and provide medical care to them. We have adequate supply of ARV. The vaccine is also available at all government hospitals including Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres,” says GHCCD Superintendent R. Sunil Kumar.
GVMC officials maintain that there is no shortage of ARV, and the corporation is supplying the vaccine to the first referral hospitals.
