Kozhikode: The government laxity in appointing staff and sanctioning funds for new vehicles is delaying the animal birth control (ABC) centre and multispeciality veterinary hospital of Kozhikode Municipal Corporation.
The centre expected to resolve all the present issues of stray dog menace in the city was to open in May last year.
"For more than a year, we have been pleading for staff and funds after putting in place all other facilities," said animal birth control project officer Dr Baby Kuriakose.
"We have even purchased the required medicines."The official survey on strays in July by the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Science University, Wayanad, had identified more than 13, 000 dogs in 70 of the 75 wards within the corporation.
The survey following international standards was one of the very few dog population surveys conducted in India.
"We at least want the trial run of the hospital to start so that we can train people in conducting surgeries and other functions. Only with the trial run, we will be able to predict the centre's future," he said.
The hospital was to offer 24-hour consultancy with the state-of-the-art facilities and handle all emergencies in veterinary cases, besides sterilisation and vaccination of dogs.
