(IN): Shots for strays to avoid tech city rerun

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Link: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070430/asp/guwahati/story_7714229.asp

 

Shots for strays to avoid tech city rerun

 

A STAFF REPORTER

 

April 29: What happened in Bangalore was a massacre of sorts and the

Assam chapter of People for Animals (PFA) is making sure that the city

does not breed such violence against man's best friend.

 

After a dog adoption show, the organisation has undertaken a

vaccination drive of stray dogs to make Guwahati a rabies-free city.

PFA members launched the drive in the city on the sidelines of World

Veterinary Day on Saturday. Chairperson of PFA's Assam chapter,

Sangeeta Goswami, said following an incident in which a girl died

after being mauled by a dog, Karnataka High Court recently directed

Bangalore municipality to take steps to tackle the stray dog menace.

 

The veterinary doctors with the help of PFA members vaccinated a large

number of strays at Harijan Colony opposite Nehru Stadium on

Saturday.Goswami said the basic objective of their drive was to

protect the residents from the risk of rabies. She said their aim was

to make the city rabies free by the end of this year. The PFA drive

will cover the entire city in a phased manner.

 

" In the first phase we will cover slums and squatter settlements where

the population of stray dogs is higher than in other areas. After that

we will focus on the remaining areas of the city, " he added.

 

Many areas in the city are affected by the menace of stray dogs as a

result of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation's lax attitude in

tackling the issue.

 

The stray dog population in Guwahati is estimated to be over 15,000,

although there is no official proof for those statistics.

 

Goswami, who is also a member of Animal Welfare Board of India, said

the problem of stray dogs can be solved if the municipality follows

the dog control policy framed by the Centre.

 

" Killing of dogs cannot be a solution as you may kill hundreds only to

find another hundred puppies. We believe that the only practical

solution is sterilisation of stray dogs, " she asserted.

 

Goswami said according to the policy, municipalities should tie up

with NGOs and conduct birth control programmes for stray dogs.

However, nothing of this sort is happening in the city. .

 

" We have carried out sterilisation of dogs in areas like Uzan Bazar,

Zoo Narengi Road, Kharghuli and VIP Road on our own without any help

from GMC, " she rued.