Bhubaneswar to Relaunch Dog Sterilization Programme After High Court Lifts Stay

Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) is preparing to restart its dog sterilization programme following the Orissa High Court’s decision to lift the stay order on the initiative.

Bhubaneswar Mayor Sulochana Das emphasized the growing concern over dog bites in the city, revealing that over the past month and a half, 500 people have received anti-rabies vaccinations at BMC hospitals after being bitten by stray dogs. This rise in incidents highlights the pressing need for a sustainable approach to managing the stray dog population.

Previously halted due to the High Court’s stay order, the sterilization programme will soon resume. To support this effort, a modern kennel has been established in Mancheswar to ensure the smooth implementation of the initiative.

In addition, the Minister of Fisheries and Animal Resources Development provided alarming statistics during the recent Assembly session. Approximately 1.7 million stray dogs roam the state’s streets, with over 500,000 people having been bitten by dogs in the past two years. In the last ten months alone, 243,565 dog bite cases have been reported. To address this, 4,600 dogs have been sterilized in eight urban areas.

The Orissa High Court lifted the stay on stray dog sterilization in January after the state government established the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Implementation and Monitoring Committee, as directed by the Supreme Court.