Stray dog population management
To address the issue of the growing dog population in the city, in addition to focusing on the proper garbage management Srinagar Municipal Corporation in collaboration with Animal Welfare Board of India and Sheri Kashmir University of Agriculture Science and Technology also initiated the process of establishing Animal Birth Control and anti-rabies centre (ABC-AR Centre) by signing a tripartite MOU on 11th August 2011. Land for the establishment of the proposed facility was offered by the veterinary college at Alusteng Shuhama , Land development, fencing of the facility and fifty dog Kennels were built by SMC and works on the project completed by May 2012. Initially, SKUAST - Veterinary faculty, being the implementing agency for carrying out the surgeries, offered their operation theatre for the conduct of surgeries and the program was launched on 1st May 2012. With the assistance of Animal Welfare Board of India, dog catchers were imparted special training at Jaipur too.
Considering the highly prolific nature of stray dogs with an average life span of about 2- 5 years and two breeding seasons a year, a multifold increase in their population can be expected if allowed to breed freely under the availability of energy-rich non-vegan edible waste - a female dog can add 10-15 pups to the population every year so fast track Sterilization of stray dogs along with effective garbage management is the only viable and effective tool to control the population. This is possible only if multiple ABC-AR centres are established across the city and sterilizations carried out at a massive scale for effective control of stray dogs. Till date around 2,000 sterilizations were conducted and also around 2,000 stray dogs were administered the anti-rabies vaccine.
Since the available infrastructure with Municipal Corporation at Shuhama - Alusteng is very less to cater only 10 to 15 sterilization a day and keeping in view the volume of sterilizations required, SMC has initiated to develop one more ABC centre.
Staff engaged with Animal Birth control Program (ABC-AR Program):-