Haveri: DC Vijayamahantesh Danammanavar directed local urban and rural authorities, along with veterinary officers from the animal husbandry department, to work together on controlling the street dog population in the district.Presiding over the district-level animal population control and supervision committee meeting and the mobile veterinary unit progress review meeting, he emphasised the immediate implementation of the street dog population control (ABC) programme with the cooperation of local urban and rural bodies and the animal husbandry and veterinary services department.The number of dogs in the district increased due to uncontrolled breeding, creating a situation where people are afraid to leave their homes. He described this as a socially dangerous development and highlighted the crucial need to control the situation. “If cases of dog bites are reported in urban and rural areas in the coming days, cases should be filed against the relevant local authorities and officials in charge, as directed to the police department officials,” he warned.DC Danammanavar instructed the concerned parties to manage the cattle in the shelters appropriately and humanely as per guidelines. He also directed that the relevant veterinary officer and a member of the animal welfare association visit these shelters every 15 days to review and report on their operations.Dr Shivayogi B Yali, deputy director of the animal husbandry department, explained that under the population control programme, street dogs are captured, sterilised, given appropriate post-operative care for three days, vaccinated against rabies, and then released back to their original location. In observance of World Rabies Day on Sept 28, officials were instructed to organise rabies vaccination programmes and awareness camps in schools and for the public across the district, he added.
