Corpn to e-track sterilisation of strays

Chennai

“We are analysing a few software programmes available in the market that can be used to track dogs from the moment they are captured till they are released after sterilisation. This will ensure ethical treatment of the stray dogs,” a Chennai Corporation official said.

The software would also be able to track the type of treatment given to the dogs at the animal birth control (ABC) centres. Presently, there is no system to track stray dogs or monitor how they are treated at the centres.

The official added that once a suitable software was identified and ABC centres were upgraded, all the dogs that are brought to those centres would be accounted for.

Apart from using the software, the civic body is also planning to upgrade the existing ABC centres so that hundreds of dogs can be sterilised at once. Presently, the civic body runs centres at Lloyds Colony, Kannamapet and Basin Bridge.

“At the present rate, it will take several years to sterilise all the stray dogs. So, we have to upgrade the centres as well as decentralise ABC activities. There are plans to conduct mobile camps across the city, which will hasten the ABC measures. We will also request the dog lovers and activists to step in and provide funds to conduct the dog sterilisation,” the official said.

Another official said that a mass immunisation drive would be conducted next February to protect stray dogs from rabies. “We have immunised more than 68,000 stray dogs until January. The dogs will be given booster doses next year. In recent years, no human life was lost due to rabies. However, a small number of dogs were reported with the disease,” he said.

As per a survey conducted by the civic body a few years ago, there were around 85,000 stray dogs. However, activists claim that there are more than 3 lakh stray dogs in the city.