PMC zeroes in on 2 organisations to sterilise stray dogs

The said organisations will handle the entire process of picking up stray dogs, neutering them, and then dropping them off at the same place where they were picked up

PUNE: To rein in the growing population of stray dogs – currently estimated at 220,000 , up from 150,000 lakh in 2017-18 – the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has zeroed in on two private organisations and is awaiting the standing committee’s nod to begin work at the earliest.

To rein in the growing population of stray dogs – currently estimated at 220,000 , up from 150,000 lakh in 2017-18 – the PMC has zeroed in on two private organisations and is awaiting the standing committee’s nod to begin work at the earliest. (HT PHOTO)

The said organisations will handle the entire process of picking up stray dogs, neutering them, and then dropping them off at the same place where they were picked up. The PMC’s health department has taken the decision in response to a series of complaints about stray dogs intimidating citizens and leading to accidents in various parts of the city as also to augment the sterilisation of stray canines.

A health officer of the PMC said, “Animal Welfare Association, Navi Mumbai; and Jivaraksha Animal Welfare Trust are the two organisations selected out of the six tenders we received. They have to set up the infrastructure in their own/private space to pick up the stray dogs in their vehicle/s, sterilise them, vaccinate them and drop them in the same area where they were picked up. They will be paid ₹1,549 per dog.”

According to the health department, they have been working on two types of tenders; one where the NGO Canine Control Care works on a ‘no profit, no loss’ basis to ensure that the dogs are sterilised. The NGO works in the Mundhwa, Baner and Naidu areas. A PMC van carrying a volunteer and a person to pick up the dog/s goes to bring in the stray/s for sterilisation.