GVMC chalks out plan to curb stray dog menace

Visakhapatnam: The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has drawn an action plan to curb the growing stray dog menace in the city with a special drive to increase animal birth control programme from June 1.

Commissioner of GVMC Praveen Kumar, who held a review meeting with the public health officials at his chambers on Wednesday, said the programme being launched from the first week of June should be completed by October-end. “By October, 80 per cent of sterilisation should be completed,’’ he told the officials.

He ordered that the stray dogs should be released in the same place where they have been picked up after operation. The Commissioner also suggestred that micro chips should be planted in the dogs to keep a track of them, after the surgery.

Joint director of animal husbandry depart gave a list of veterinary doctors available in his department for the sterilisation programme. Founder president of Viaskha Society for Protection and Care of Animals (VSPCA) Pradeep Nath explained about the methods he has been using for animal birth control programme and a survey report on the stray dog population. GVMC signed an MoU with VSPCA in 2012 and entrusted it with a target of 5,000 dogs per annum for birth control and anti-rabis vaccination.

The corporation it self decided to do the same for another 5,000 dogs. The Animal Welfare Board pays Rs 450 for each dog to VSPCA for animal birth control and vaccination.

The GVMC officials said they were not able to carry out animal birth control for even 2,000 dogs against the target of 5,000.