Sterilisation poses risk to strays

Rajahmundry: The state government has issued a circular directing NGOs to complete the ongoing sterilization of stray dogs by the end of October, warning them that criminal cases may be booked against them if they fail to realise their targets. Some NGOs are resorting to unethical practices now including the killing of strays. As per the records available on the website of the Commissioner and Director of Municipal Administration on Tuesday, the sterilisation of 80,356 dogs has been completed, against a target of 1,71,467 strays. This means that the NGOs are expected to complete the sterilisation of 91,111 stray dogs within 14 days. The circular issued by the government also mentions that municipal commissioners will be served charge memos if they fail to ensure that the NGOs working under them fail to realise their targets.

Animal welfare activists allege that some NGOs are deviating from the standard operating procedures prescribed by the Animal Welfare Board in order to sterilise a large number of dogs within the short period of time available. As per the prescribed procedure, strays are supposed to be captured, sterilised, administered anti-rabies vaccines, and then released at the place from where they were caught.

In their hurry, NGOs are roping in veterinary assistants to perform the medical procedures while failing to provide post-operative care. Activists say that the employment of untrained veterinary assistants is endangering  lives of stray dogs. They allege that some strays are being ruthlessly killed and buried so that they don’t have to be sterilised. Activists also say that sterilised dogs are not being released at their place of origin as stipulated by the norms. This could lead to new strays from rural areas occupying the areas. This, in turn, could result in major fights between local and migrant dogs, which could lead to the spread of rabies. Migrant dogs are also more likely to bite people as they are unfamiliar with them. A bite from a rabid dog can prove to be lethal for humans.

Activists allege that some municipal commissioners have ignored the management of stray dogs, which has led to people being attacked by them. Recently, a four-year-old boy was mauled to death by four stray dogs while he was playing near his house, in Guntur. P.B.K. Acharyulu, a welfare officer of the Animal Welfare Board of India, says, “Some NGOs are resorting to unethical practices, at the behest of municipal commissioners, to complete sterilisation before the deadline to avoid trouble. We are afraid that this short-term goal may lead to further complication of the stray dog menace in the state, instead of its resolution.”