Amritsar: Despite rise in dog population, sterilisation moves at snail’s pace

Charanjit Singh Teja

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Amritsar, January 29

The number of stray dogs is rapidly increasing in the city, but the sterilisation project is going at a snail’s pace. The Amritsar Municipal Corporation had hired an Animal Welfare Charitable Trust to sterilize 20,000 dogs in August 2023 for the sterilization of canine. During the last five months, 4,050 dogs have been sterilized. Around 30 to 35 dogs are being sterilized daily at the Animal Birth Control Centre at Narayangarh, Chheharta and Fatehgarh Shukarchak.

It is estimated that there are over 50,000 stray dogs in the city and the number is growing rapidly. The MC claims to have sterilised around 14,000 dogs in past few years and had set a target of 50 dogs to be sterilised every day. According to experts, around 50 dogs are born daily and the MC is sterilizing around the same number on a daily basis. To curb the population of canine, the MC should sterilize three times more dogs and focus on female dogs.

MC Assistant Medical Officer Dr Rama claimed that the work of sterilization would be accelerated. She said the work of dog sterilization was going on continuously. Under the project, teams are catching stray dogs and sterilizing them at two centres established in the city. She said the anti-rabies vaccine was also being injected along with sterilization. After the sterilization operation, the dogs are released in the same area from where they are caught.

While the Anti-Rabies wing of Guru Nanak Dev Hospital and the Civil Hospital, more than 20 cases of dog bites are being reported in the city. Apart from this, several victims visit private hospitals to get anti-rabies injection instead of government hospitals after dog bite. “The stray dog population is growing rapidly. A female canine gives birth to eight to 10 puppies after six months. The MC should speed up sterilization,” said Ravinder Kumar, a resident.

Over 50K stray dogs in city

It is estimated that there are over 50,000 stray dogs in the city and the number is growing rapidly. The MC claims to have sterilised around 14,000 dogs in past few years and had set a target of 50 dogs to be sterilised every day. According to experts, around 50 dogs are born daily and the MC is sterilizing around the same number on a daily basis. To curb the population of canine, the MC should sterilize three times more dogs and focus on female dogs.