Sunday, Nov 10, 2002
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Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram
By T. Nandakumar
Supported by the Animal Husbandry Department and non-Governmental animal rights organisations, the programme is expected to be launched by mid- December. The veterinary hospital at Pettah is being equipped for the purpose. As many as 10 dogs will be sterilised in one lot. The Mayor, J. Chandra, said the pilot project would focus on markets and school and college premises. She said the dog catchers under the Corporation would be imparted special training to capture the animals. Experts from Blue Cross in Chennai will be drafted for the training programme. The veterinary surgeons and supporting staff at the hospital will also be trained in sterilisation procedures. The local body is also taking up a public awareness programme to take the city residents into confidence. Following protests raised by animal rights activists, the Corporation had temporarily suspended the killing of stray dogs. The former Union Minister, Maneka Gandhi, who intervened in the issue had issued instructions to undertake the sterilisation with the help of NGOs. But with residents coming under attack from stray dogs, the local body is under immense pressure to resume the killing. The Corporation has completed the civil works at the Pettah hospital, which is being equipped for the sterilisation project. After the surgery, the dogs will be housed in post-operative kennels for seven to 10 days before release. During this period, they will be monitored and treated for communicable diseases. Civic officials said a couple of NGOs had agreed to provide food for the animals and keep the kennels clean during the post-operative period. The sterilisation process involves a surgical operation to remove the testes of male animals, and the ovaries and uterus in the case of female dogs. The animal is administered anaesthesia and the surgery is conducted using the basic vet surgeon's tools. Veterinary experts say that handling stray dogs is a high-risk affair for the dog-catchers and hospital staff. "Unlike domesticated canines, stray dogs are almost like wild animals and have to be handled very carefully''. Sterilised dogs will have to be tagged to avoid their recapture. Under the ABC programme, the sterilised animals have to be released in the same area from where they were captured. Project officers point out that this presents a major problem. For one, citizens who welcome the capture of stray dogs from their locality are bound to pose stiff resistance to their release. "The Corporation may have to face organised protests from residents'', says the Mayor. It is pointed out that the release of the animals would also disrupt the hierarchy within the pack and lead to leadership conflict. "If the captured dog is the leader of a pack, another animal will take over in its absence. On return, the sterilised dog will try to reclaim its position. This will lead to fights, with the result that the whole pack becomes aggressive, posing a threat to citizens'', says a vet. The risk of disease transmission is another problem identifed by vets. "Many of the captured animals may be diseased and there is a high risk of transmission within the hospital, especially to the dogs under post-operative care. Once released, the infected dogs may transmit the disease to the rest of the pack,'' says a project officer. Vets will also have to be immunised. The absence of basic data about the stray dog population or the male- female ratio is a major hindrance to the sterilisation project. The Animal Welfare Board puts the number of stray dogs in the capital at about 1 lakh. Animal rights activists feel that the number is far less but they are not sure about the actual figures. Many civic officials feel that the ABC programme can only supplement the destruction of stray dogs. They point out that sterilisation doesn't prevent rabies or prevent citizens from being bitten by marauding packs. Residents are often intimidated by the aggressive behaviour of stray dogs, especially at night. The menace is felt most by two-wheeler riders and pedestrians who come under attack.
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