PMC to launch mobile unit for stray dog birth control
PMC will launch mobile animal rabies elimination care hospital to bolster animal birth control programme in newly merged villages that lack permanent facilities
In a step to curb dog-mediated rabies, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will launch a mobile animal rabies elimination care hospital to bolster the animal birth control (ABC) programme in newly merged villages that currently lack permanent facilities, officials said on Friday.
The PMC Veterinary Department stated that the mobile unit will cover all 34 newly merged villages within the city limits, where no fixed ABC centres exist. Currently, the ABC programme sterilises and vaccinates around 4,000 stray dogs each month. The corporation operates five permanent centres at Mundhwa, Wadki, Holkarwadi, Katraj, Baner, and Naidu Hospital.
According to civic officials, the initiative aims to bridge infrastructure gaps and ensure that dog sterilisation and anti-rabies measures reach peripheral and fast-growing areas of the city.
In May 2023, PMC conducted a census of stray dogs in Pune city, estimating that the canine population had decreased from 3,15,000 in 2018 to 1,79,940 stray dogs in 2023. The 34 newly merged villages in the municipal limit have around 1.50 lakh stray dog population.
A senior PMC official, on request of anonymity, said, “A detailed proposal for the mobile unit has been submitted to the PMC administration for approval on Friday. Once cleared, the unit is expected to significantly improve coverage of the ABC programme in newly added villages.”
According to the officials, the mobile hospital is equipped with modern veterinary facilities. It will function as a fully operational clinic on wheels. It will enable on-the-spot sterilisation of stray dogs, anti-rabies vaccination, post-operative care and basic treatment, especially in locations where setting up permanent centres is not feasible due to space or logistical constraints, they said.
Dr Sarika Funde, veterinary superintendent of PMC, said, “Several merged villages do not have access to permanent animal birth control centres. The mobile hospital will allow us to take services directly to these localities, ensuring timely sterilisation and vaccination.”
