Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) will soon undertake a canine census to determine the exact number of stray dogs in Odisha capital, Bhubaneswar Mayor Sulochana Das announced on Friday.
“The census will cover both stray and pet dogs, with all dogs being ear-tagged to record details such as sterilization and vaccination status. For pet dogs, owner information will also be included in the tags, while data on stray dogs will include their territorial locations,” she said.
The Mayor also welcomed the Supreme Court’s modification of its earlier order on the relocation of stray dogs. “We have not received any letter from the top court till now, but have been taking steps to control the canine population in the city. While a sterilisation drive is on, we have been urging people to feed dogs at a dedicated place. The BMC has also been providing food to the strays during natural calamities,” she said.
In May, the local body resumed its stray dog sterilisation programme after two years, as the city’s canine population surged to 80,000. A Hyderabad-based private firm was given the contract to perform around 70 sterilisation operations daily, targeting 2,000 dogs monthly, during the three-year drive.
The BMC also announced plans for a comprehensive street dog census to be conducted by sanitary workers to gather crucial data on gender distribution of strays and identify puppy populations across Bhubaneswar.
