Three ABC centres in Salem expected to control stray dog menace soon

On behalf of the Animal Husbandry Department, Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres have been set up at three places in the district and soon, these centres will sterilise the stray dogs and administer vaccination.

In Salem district, due to an increase in the number of stray dogs, dog bite incidents are regularly reported. In Salem, the Corporation captures stray dogs, sterilises and administers vaccination. But the district lacked proper infrastructure for ABC centres and local bodies also struggled to control this menace.

Now, the Animal Husbandry Department has set up ABC centres at three places—Veerapandi, Chinna Konur near Mecheri and Vazhapadi—for sterilizing and vaccinating the dogs. Soon these centres are expected to start to function.

Officials attached to the Animal Husbandry Department said that they will provide technical support to the local bodies in this regard. The rooms at the veterinary hospitals in the centres are converted into operation theatres to sterilise the dogs and vaccinate them.

Through local bodies, training is provided to the workers on handling dogs. At the State-level, a training was under way for 250 veterinary surgeons regarding sterilising the dogs and from Salem, two surgeons were sent for the training. There are 149 department dispensaries functioning in the district and every week dogs are vaccinated at special camps. Through the help of local bodies and block development officials, advertisements were created about these camps. In the camp held cross the district on February 2, over 2,000 dogs were vaccinated, said officials.

The expenses for capturing, sterilising, feeding, and releasing stray dogs will be borne by the Animal Welfare Board of India. For dogs that were reared in houses, ₹75 is charged for performing sterilisation as per rules, post which the dogs will be at shelters for three to five days and after the wounds have healed, they will be released back at where they were captured, officials added.