Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Aid sought for Animal Birth Control programme

Staff Reporter

Corporation asks for a financial package of Rs.22.97 lakhs

Thiruvananthapuram: The City Corporation has submitted a project to the Government seeking assistance to scale up the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme for sterilisation of stray dogs and control incidence of rabies.

The project involves the establishment of a zoonotic disease diagnostic laboratory, the acquisition of a mobile laparoscopic unit for sterilisation surgery and a vaccination and health certification programme for stray dogs.

Attached to the Veterinary Hospital, Pettah, the proposed laboratory will be equipped with Fluorescent Antibody Technique to diagnose rabies in suspected animals, humans or carcasses

According to Corporation officials, the mobile laparoscopic unit will help to replace the costly and time-consuming method of conventional surgery. "The pan hysterectomy technique that involves removal of the ovaries, takes up to 90 minutes for an animal and requires hospital support facilities. It is also prone to complications and the post-operative period can last up to seven days. The recurring expenditure for medicines, vaccines, post operative care and management can consume up to Rs.600 for a single animal," says an official.

Mounted on a vehicle, the mobile laparoscopic unit will tour the city from one end to the other. Animals captured by dogcatchers will be sterilised and vaccinated against rabies before being released the same day. The animals will be provided with a blue collar and tattooed to prevent recapture. An average of 20 female dogs can be sterilised per day. The laparoscopic method is expected to bring down the cost of surgery to Rs.65 per animal.

Simultaneously, male dogs will be neutered at the 10 hospitals within the Corporation limits.

Under the health certification programme, pet dogs will be vaccinated and issued a licence. A green collar will help to identify the certified animals. A health card-cum-fitness certificate will also be issued. The service will cost Rs.100 per dog, with a subsidy of 50 per cent for pet owners below the poverty line.

According to the Heath department, at least 1,000 dog bite cases are reported daily at the city hospitals. The Corporation is seeking a financial package of Rs.22.97 lakhs from the Animal Husbandry department. It also anticipates an annual assistance of Rs.24.5 lakhs from the Animal Welfare Board of India for the ABC programme.

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