How Bengaluru is carrying out its latest stray dogs’ survey

In addition to estimating the total number of strays, the purpose of this year’s survey also includes determining the efficacy and impact of the Animal Birth Control-Anti Rabies Vaccination (ABC-ARV) programme, which is implemented by the BBMP in accordance with the Animal Birth Control (Dog) Rules-2001 for the sterilisation of stray dogs to control their population.

The latest survey is being carried out after a gap of three years due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

What method is the BBMP using for the survey?

The stray dog survey in Bengaluru is being done using the sight-resight (SRS) method, said Joint Director of BBMP’s Animal Husbandry Department Dr Ravi Kumar.

In the sight-resight method, the surveyor recalls and records the sighting of the dogs through physical characteristics in a particular geographical location.

This SRS method has been noted to be practical due to its low cost and simplicity. Using photos improved dog identification during the sight-resight study, leading to a higher population estimate, according to a research study titled ‘Use of photography to identify free-roaming dogs during sight-resight surveys: Impacts on estimates of population size and vaccination coverage, Haiti 2016’ by Cleaton et.al.

How is the SRS method adopted in Bengaluru?

The BBMP has divided the city into 6,850 microzones with an area radius of 0.5 sq km each. The survey activity will be conducted in randomly selected 1,360 microzones, the Joint Director
said.

About 100 volunteers from the BBMP and the state animal husbandry department are involved in the survey. Moreover, 100 officials have been divided into 50 batches of two members each who will work on the survey between 6 am to 8:30 am every day. The survey procedure is expected to be completed in 14 days, subject to extension in case of heavy rains.

The two-member batches of officials will set out on two-wheelers in these micro zones and cover approximately five kilometres every day. On spotting a dog, they are expected to click a photograph and upload it on the Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS) Data Collection app. They will also specify whether the dog is male or female, and sterilised and/or vaccinated.

According to BioMed Central Veterinary Research, all dogs subject to sterilisation and/or vaccination as part of ABC-ARV projects are ear-notched using a clamp. An ear-notch provides a permanent and visible mark that the dog is already. This is the marker that the officials will use to record data.

Won’t there be an overlap of the dogs spotted?

To increase data accuracy and avoid overlap of information about the same dogs multiple times on the WVS app, the assigned wards will be re-sighted by the teams for confirmation.

How does the WVS Data Collection app work?

Information about the demarcated microzones and the individual teams assigned have been fed into the WVS app prior to the survey, according to the BBMP officials. With this, teams can navigate across an area by switching between Google Maps and Google Satellite in the app. The path tracker function on the app is said to ease navigation for data collectors, to better ensure that no ward is repeated or missed.

What is done with the data collected?

The collected data will be processed and statistically analysed into a report by the National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics (ICAR-NIVEDI). The survey report will include the total number of strays in Bengaluru, ward-wise animal population estimation and information on the number of stray dogs vaccinated and sterilised.

“This year’s report will then be compared with 2019 data to see if there has been a dip in the number of stray dogs in the city and whether the ABC-ARV programme is working,” said Dr Ravi Kumar.

What other methods are available to conduct a stray dog survey?

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) recommend only four techniques to be used in the estimation of the abundance of unrestricted dogs.

According to a 2012 Environmental and Ecological Statistics research on methods of estimating stray population, they include total or indirect counts (sight-resight), regression method, estimates of recaptures and the Beck method.

The recommendations were published jointly in 1990 to help obtain a population estimate in a defined area. A majority of these methods require the use of photographic equipment to capture the dogs visually rather than physically.

The population estimation methods are based on two assumptions: they are closed populations along the counting period and all individuals within the population have an equal probability of being counted.

“This leads to the important aspect that such animal population censuses’ data need to be collected regularly for short time periods,” said Dr Padam Jain, a veterinary doctor who provides free treatment to rescued stray dogs in Raipur, Chattisgarh.

“Quantitative management plans need to be adopted to take better care of stray dogs rather than mere estimations. The government schemes must be all-encompassing of their health beyond rabies and ABC programmes,” he added.