Within 10 days of an incident, a team including a veterinary doctor will visit the location to determine if the dog is sterilized. The dog will then be taken to the nearest animal birth control center for a microchipping procedure.
A small chip will be placed under the dog’s skin, enabling the team to identify if the same dog has been involved in multiple bite cases. The team will also conduct local inquiries to ascertain if the dog was provoked before the incident. If a dog is involved in more than one incident, it will not be released.
If an NGO member or individual wishes to adopt a stray dog, an affidavit must be provided to the veterinary doctors at the animal birth control center. A senior officer stated, “The person will have to take full responsibility and mention on record that he/she is going to be liable for any untoward action and also face legal action later on in case another case is reported.”
Principal Secretary Amrit Abhijat noted that “Executive heads of local bodies have new guidelines and procedure and resources to upgrade animal birth control centres and augment capacity.” Veterinarians and paravets are required to document the dog’s behavior and health, describing whether it is approachable, fearful, or reactive. It is estimated that in major cities of Uttar Pradesh, there are approximately three stray dogs for every 100 individuals in a locality. In the last financial year, nearly 2.85 lakh dogs were sterilized in birth control centers statewide. While 15 cities under municipal corporations have one such center, Lucknow and Ghaziabad each have two.
