The City Corporation is ramping up its measures to curb the rising canine population on the streets which is becoming a bigger threat to city residents day by day, by roping in private parties. The civic body has invited Expressions of Interest (EoI) from parties interested in carrying out sterilisation of stray dogs.

“Individuals or organisations can come forward for the task. The Corporation will lay down certain criteria for selection to which the parties will have to abide by,” said Health Standing Committee chairperson S Pushpalatha.

After the only veterinary surgeon got transferred, the Animal Birth Control Programme (ABC) in the city has been in doldrums. The vacancy has not been filled so far. As a result, the facilities for running the programme at the Veterinary Hospital in Pettah have been lying idle. A government team that visited the hospital in November 2013 had aired criticism over not effectively utilising the infrastructure available.

For some time the Corporation tried to vaccinate the dogs, but that could not control the increasing menace caused by the street dogs.

Meanwhile, the Sri Sathya Sai Orphanage Trust has come forward to formulate a project to bring the increasing dog menace under control. In the absence of veterinary doctors,  medicines required or dog catchers the Trust has promised to undertake those measures and carry out the sterilisation activities.

The project proposal in this regard was submitted to the City Corporation recently.