Hyderabad: In view of the increasing cases of dog bites in the city and its peripheral areas, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has formulated various steps that would be taken to prevent such incidents in the future.
Various measures to prevent dog bites and address street dog menace will be taken up under the GHMC limits and in the 27 municipal corporations/municipalities coming within the limits of the outer-ring road (ORR).
Sterilisation
The main strategy is to sterilise the street dogs through ABC-AR programme, so that the female dog’s instinct to protect her pups and a male’s competitive mating instinct is removed, and dogs become docile after sterilisation. Through this approach, GHMC aims to stabilise the street dog population, which could bring down dog-bite incidents.
Anti-rabies vaccine
Another step is administrating anti-rabies vaccines to all the street dogs.
GHMC is planning to conduct an information, education and communication campaign involving residential welfare associations, slum-dwellers’ federations, and in public and private schools, to teach them about dog behaviour, dos and don’ts while dealing with the dogs, dog-bite management, and to encourage them to inform the officials about unsterilised dogs in their areas.
GHMC also plans to promote street dog adoption, and pet dog registration, for maintaining the database of the pets, so that the Sterilisation and vaccination reminders and advisories are sent to those having pets.
Eliminating garbage points
Elimination of garbage vulnerable points to avoid gathering of street dogs, arranging water bowls to quench the thirst of street dogs during the summer, registration of care takers/ feeders of street dogs, and ensuring feeding spots at less frequented area are some of the steps being initiated for the well-being of street dogs.
Crèche at construction sites
GHMC is making crèche mandatory at the construction sites in compliance with the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017, as the children of construction workers are the most vulnerable to fatal dog attacks, when the parents leave their children alone during work. Letters have been addressed to the builders through the chief city planner for strict implementation of the Act.
GHMC plans to establish separate rehabilitation shelters for keeping the wild/aggressive street dogs attacking public/children, till proper protocols are worked out in compliance with the existing legal frame work.
To mitigate the adverse effects of a dog-bite incident, a rapid response team headed by the jurisdictional Veterinary Officer will be constituted in each circle of GHMC. The veterinary officer, along with the dog catching team will swiftly reach the spot of a dog-bite incident and ensure immediate first-aid to the victims, catch the street dog causing the injury, refer the victim to Fever Hospital, inform the victim of anti-rabies vaccine follow-up.
Dedicated dog catching team
The dog catching team will isolate the attacking street dog in animal care centers for 10 days, ensure anti-rabies vaccination, shift unsterilized street dogs to those centers and release them after post-operative care.
A toll free number 040-21111111 (helpline) and 040-23225397 (contact support) are being setup to receive the complaints of dog menace from the citizens under GHMC limits.
A State animal birth control monitoring and implementation committee meeting headed by the principal secretary, MAUD Department will be held at Dr BR Ambedkar Telangana State Secretariat at 3 pm on Monday, which will be attended by representatives of the animal welfare associations, advocates, subject matter experts, veterinary officials, health officials and other stakeholders, for discussing the measures to be taken to prevent the dog bite incidents in future.
