A dedicated shelter for sterilised stray dogs is getting ready at Ambedkar Nagar in Ward No. 4 of Tiruchi Corporation.
| Photo Credit: R. VENGADESH
Construction of dedicated shelters for sterilised stray dogs in Tiruchi is progressing steadily, with the Tiruchi Corporation expecting to complete and commission the facilities by October.The shelters are coming up near the existing Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres at Ambedkar Nagar in Ward 4 of Zone 1, J.K. Nagar in Ward 46 of Zone 3, and Konakkarai in Ward 11 of Zone 5 as well as near the dump yard in Ariyamangalam in Ward 36 of Zone 3. The four facilities are being constructed at a cost of ₹1.20 crore, with ₹30 lakh allocated for each shelter.“Construction of the shelters is progressing well and we are expecting to complete and commission them by October,” said M. Karthikeyan, City Health Officer.Designed in consultation with the Animal Welfare Board, each shelter will have the capacity to accommodate around 100 stray dogs. The facilities will include kennels, feeding areas, a kitchen, and basic veterinary infrastructure for first aid, vaccination, surgeries and post-operative care wards. The shelters will be enclosed by compound walls to ensure the safety of the animals.Officials said non-governmental organisations would be entrusted with the maintenance of the shelters. Each facility would be managed by an NGO, which would appoint two caretakers and a veterinarian to provide care for the animals. Dedicated dog-catching teams equipped with vehicles would be deployed to rescue and transport stray dogs requiring treatment or shelter.The shelters are established in compliance with the Supreme Court’s directive to remove stray dogs roaming public locations, including 227 government offices and educational institutions, 63 government hospitals, 208 private hospitals, three bus stands and five railway stations. After sterilisation, the dogs will be sheltered and provided with necessary food and care at the proposed safe shelters.According to a city-wide survey, Tiruchi has an estimated stray dog population of 43,767. Of these, 32,323 dogs have been sterilised and administered anti-rabies vaccinations.The Corporation aims to complete the sterilisation and vaccination of the remaining 11,444 stray dogs within this year. In addition, a booster anti-rabies vaccination drive covering around 10,000 stray dogs is under way. Published - July 05, 2026 06:39 pm IST
