1000 dog bites a month!

OVER 1000 PEOPLE fall victim to dog-bites every month and the scene becomes scarier with 2 lakh street dogs stalking city roads.

What’s the reason? Residents think the reason is carelessness on part of LMC dogcatchers. A resident of Faizabad road Joyjit says, “We have made a number of complaints about the street dog problem in our housing society. But, there has been no action.”

But, LMC officials say paucity of funds is keeping their hands tied. “We don’t have funds and resources to monitor dog population,” an official says.

However, official records tell that the centre had released Rs 9.60 lakhs and Rs 9 lakhs in year 2004 and 2005 respectively to the LMC for catching street dogs, immunizing, etc.

The centre’s grant of Rs 445 per dog (for 2500 dogs per year) to catch dogs, immunize and casterise them before releasing them in the open, has reportedly been utilised in works other than dog catching.

On the question of immunization and casterisation, an LMC official said, “The task of operating and immunizing the dogs last year was outsourced to an NGO. But, the LMC has no system of monitoring the work of the NGO performing these works. We will have to believe what the NGO tells us ”

Chief veterinary officer Lucknow Municipal Corporation Dr AP Singh says, “We are concerned about the rising number of street dogs in the city. We have caught nearly 1000 dogs during the last six months and thrown them out of city limits. I joined only six months ago. But, during my period no LMC vet has performed any operation on a dog.”

The chief veterinary officer admitted the financial help by the centre for dog catching.

“We have purchased two vehicles to catch dogs. Out of that grant,” says Singh.