The Times of India               03.01.2014

Civic body may raise neutering rate to Rs 650 per dog

AHMEDABAD: The health committee of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has now realized that the four agencies involved in neutering of dogs over the last two years are not able to meet the daily target for dogs neutered - i.e., 120 dogs a day. In fact, the agencies were cutting corners to be able to meet their daily costs as they were not paid enough money for the job by the AMC. This was defeating the purpose for which the agencies were hired. In fact, two agencies have already refused to continue working for the AMC.

Sources in the civic body said that as a result, the civic body is likely to revise the rate to Rs 650 per dog and the agencies would be required to neuter 200 dogs a day.

In Ahmedabad, one finds a dog every 25 meters and, according to the 2010 census, there are 2.5 lakh stray dogs in the city.

A senior member of the health committee said they were still in the discussion stage. "The new conditions would include a Rs 200 hike in the existing rate for neutering dogs. The revised rate will be Rs 650 per dog. We would also include some other stringent conditions. We would like the agencies to neuter 200 dogs a day. We have realized that neutering of dogs was not taking place earnestly," said the health committee member. What has flummoxed the AMC's cattle menace department is that the two NGOs which were engaged for the task claimed that they worked for 4 hours a day as a surgeon needs 10 minutes to neuter a dog. The agencies were required to neuter 90 to 110 dogs a day.

In fact, according to AMC records, 45,011 dogs were neutered in 2007 with the help of just one NGO at the rate of Rs 550 per dog. In the financial year 2012-13, the AMC paid three NGOs at the rate of Rs 445 per dog. Yet the AMC was paying the NGOs less than what they had earned five years ago, thereby forcing them tweak a few neutering numbers. Also, for almost three months during monsoon, there was no neutering of dogs.

The NGOs had earlier claimed that they require a minimum of Rs 725 per dog to be able to sustain the work. The money is needed for salaries of dog catchers, nurses, helpers and doctors as well as cost of equipment and medicines, the NGOs said.

A senior member of one of the NGOs explained why an average of 40 dogs a day cannot be sterilized regularly. "During monsoon, surgeries are difficult as stitches don't hold. The festival season also slowed down our drive. But winter will see more dogs sterilized from our zone. Every dog that is neutered has to be compulsorily vaccinated against rabies by the agencies. 'Raksharab', the anti-rabies injection, alone costs Rs 236 for 10 doses.