Sterilisation project for stray dogs to get under way

The project has been hanging fire for a long time for want of space for conducting the process of sterilisation of stray dogs.

“Previously,we had tied up with an NGO ‘People for Animals’ (PFA) for carrying out the sterilization project. Also,the slaughter house in an industrial area here was fixed to carry out the project. Due to some objections from residents of the area,however,the matter came to a standstill. As it was leading to a lot of delay,we have now decided to take the help of the Haryana Department of Animal Husbandry which has recently opened a multi-speciality hospital for pets in Sector 3 here,” said O P Sihag,executive officer,Municipal Council.

It was also added that while the department has,in principle,agreed to go ahead with the sterilisation of around 5,000 stray dogs in the city,a meeting for the same would be held in a week’s time in the animal husbandry department.

“The department would not only provide us with space for the project but also carry out the sterilisation process. All that the Municipal Council would have to do is to catch the stray dogs from various sectors,” said Sihag.

The exact financial cost that the Municipal Council would have to bear in the project is yet to be decided. “Once the project starts,it would get completed in a six to seven months,” said Sihag.

The city has been suffering for a long time due to the increasing population of stray dogs,with each sector having around 7 to 10 stray dogs each on an average.

The situation is particularly bad in sectors 2,6,8,9,10,11,12,15,17 and 19 and the Mansa Devi complex.

Talking to Newsline,a resident of Sector 19,Suman Arora said,“For a long time,we’ve been hearing of the project to sterilise stray dogs. Every other day,we hear of stray dogs biting residents. The increasing population of stray dogs is becoming a major problem and it is very important to control them before it gets too late.”