By the end of the year, Pune to have a count of its stray dogs
An earlier stray-dog census was carried out by the animal husbandry department of the state government in 2014
The Pune municipal corporation (PMC) will undertake a stray-dog census in the city and has appointed four agencies (see box) to conduct the exercise. The census is expected to be completed before the end of the year.
An earlier stray-dog census was carried out by the animal husbandry department of the state government in 2014.
Standing Committee chairman Yogesh Mulik said, “The standing committee has given its nod for a proposal put forth by the municipal commissioner. The census of stray dogs is part of the plan to sterilise stray dogs in the city.”
Anjali Sabne, PMC health officer, said that the survey is part of an animal census carried out every five years. The PMC’s last figure has the number of strays in the city at 40,000, but that could be a five-year-old number.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, officials from the PMC health office said that the census of stray dogs in the city will include putting a belt and chip on the strays that have been counted.
Four agencies that will count, sterilise and belt-and-chip the strays
The four agencies that will conduct the stray-dog census in the city are, the Blue cross society (Pune), Universal animal welfare society (Beed), Society for prevention of cruelty to animals (Latur) and the Animal welfare society (Mumbai). After the census, the agencies will sterilise and ‘belt-and-chip’ the dogs, PMC officials have said.