A recent survey by National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers from the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pookode, has estimated that there are 28,510 stray dogs within the Kozhikode Corporation limits, indicating that the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme has played a significant role in containing the surge in numbers.
The survey was carried out in 28 of the total 76 wards in the Corporation area. Using established statistical tools, the overall stray dog population was projected based on data collected from these wards. The preliminary report has been handed over to the Corporation.
In the previous survey conducted in 2018, the stray dog population was recorded at 13,182. While the latest figure indicates that the number has more than doubled, officials associated with the study said the current estimate was still relatively low compared to what it could have been without intervention.
According to an official involved in preparing the report, natural population growth is expected in any species. “If the ABC programme had not been implemented, the number of stray dogs would have reached into the lakhs. A single female dog, through successive generations of her offspring, can potentially give whelping (birth) to around 1,175 puppies within a span of five years,” the official said.
