More than six months after successfully reviving the mass sterilisation and vaccination programme for stray dogs, the Vellore Corporation has decided to set up the second Animal Birth Control (ABC) centre in the town soon to accelerate the process of mass sterilisation before the onset of northeast monsoon.
Accompanied by Vellore Mayor Sujatha Ananthakumar, Collector P. Kumaravel Pandian inaugurated a special medical camp for vaccination of pet animals here on Thursday to mark the World Rabies Day observed on September 28.
“Based on successful implementation of mass sterilisation drive since last December, the Department of Animal Husbandry has asked us to set up a second ABC centre for the programme. Modalities are being worked out,” P. Rathinasamy, Commissioner and Special Officer, Vellore Corporation, told The Hindu.
At present, the ABC centre near the new bus terminus has been conducting mass sterilisation and vaccination programmes for stray dogs as per the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules 2001. The entire programme is jointly funded by the Corporation and the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI). Under the programme, female dogs are given priority and returned to the same locality as per ABC rules. On an average, 20 dogs are treated at the centre.
As per estimates, around 12,000 stray dogs have been identified by the civic body as against 9,000 dogs a decade ago. Most of these dogs were found in crowded areas like bus terminus, railway stations, markets, schools and local Corporation offices. Under the programme, around 1,300 dogs have been sterilised by the civic body since 2022.
Corporation officials said the new ABC centre will help sterilise more stray dogs in the civic body limits to prevent rapid increase of stray puppies. Accordingly, modalities are being worked out with Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) to appoint an NGO to conduct the programme. Land for the new centre is also being identified by the civic body. The new centre will be opened before the northeast monsoon.
Alongside, the Corporation also plans to set up temporary centres for the programme in each of its four zones, which together covers 60 wards with over eight lakh population, to speed up the sterilisation programme, civic officials said.
