The Anti-Rabies and Stray Dog Birth Control programme of the Coimbatore Corporation has been making very little progress with coverage of large areas in a standstill, according to Humane Animal Society, the NGO responsible for vaccinating and sterlising stray dogs in 20 wards. It alleged the programme has not been happening for the past few months in the rest of the 80 wards.

Society Managing Trustee Mini Vasaudevan said the corporation was not showing ‘enough interest’ in the programme. “We have been receiving complaints about rabies cases from regions like Gandhipuram, Perur, Chettipalaam and Karur to name few and we have been attending to it. These regions were allocated to a different NGO ‘People For Animals’. There has been a steady increase in the dog population in these regions,” she said.

The corporation was also not working effectively to take forward the programme. “There is a three-month delay in receiving payments and the corporation isn’t paying according to Government norms,” Mini added. In 2013, a government order was made to increase the amount for sterlising and vaccinating a dog from Rs 445 to Rs 700. But, the Corporation still continues to pay just Rs 445. “We started working with Corporation for this cause from 2006 and we are getting paid only Rs 445 since then despite there being an order to increase the payment. But, even that Rs 700 would not be enough as the cost of treating a dog has gone up to Rs 1,000,” she claimed.

Also, corporation vehicles for the programme remained unused and in one instance a request for a corporation vehicle when the society’s one broke down was not considered.

But Zonal Sanitary Officer R Gunasekaran said no rabies cases were reported. “I haven’t received any such reports. No rabies cases has come to my notice,” he added.

No comments were available from members of the People For Animals.