Special Funds Collected To Address Stray Dog Menace

Kozhikode district, Kerala: The district panchayat of Kozhikode has decided to address stray dog menace by introducing Animal birth control (ABC) project. The plan is to implement the scheme with the support of the gram-panchayats.

Over 95% of the gram-panchayats in the district have formed monitoring committees for implementing ABC mechanisms to address the stray dog menace. The remaining gram-panchayats are also directed to form the monitoring committees before September 9.

The district panchayat has started the move to sterilize stray dogs following a state level decision. The district panchayat will implement the scheme by using the contributions by gram-panchayats.

Special funds to address stray dog menace

According to officials, 30 out of 70 gram-panchayats in the district have already handed over their share of Rs. 2 Lakh to the district panchayat authorities for the introduction of ABC project in the district. A mobile van for sterilizing stray dogs and other instruments for sterilizing the stray dogs will be purchased using the special fund.

“We will utilize the amount collected from the gram-panchayats for purchasing the vehicle and instruments required for implementing ABC project,” said Babu Parassery, president of Kozhikode district panchayat. “We will also meet the expenses for paying the doctors and dog catchers from the fund collected,” he said adding that the district panchayat would also allocate funds for the project.

The district panchayat is planning to speed up the sterilization of dogs after a meeting on September 9. The plan is to carry out the sterilization procedure continuously as only regular intervention would help to bring down the number of stray dogs. The district panchayat authorities have also directed the gram-panchayat authorities to make license mandatory for domestic dogs and pigs.