A veterinarian administers anti-rabies vaccine to a stray dog in Tiruchi.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Tiruchi Corporation has planned to intensify the administration of anti-rabies vaccines to stray dogs by deploying additional dog-catching teams.At present, a special drive is being carried out by the civic body by engaging three dog-catching teams assisted by a veterinary doctor. To accelerate the campaign, officials are set to deploy more teams in the coming days.Simultaneously, the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme has also been stepped up. Around 40 stray dogs are being caught every day for sterilisation. In addition, nearly 170 to 200 stray dogs that have already undergone sterilisation and bear ear notches are being identified, are caught and administered booster doses of the anti-rabies vaccine daily.After vaccination, the dogs are released back to the same locations where they were captured. “We are expecting to vaccinate about 3,000 stray dogs every month,” said City Health Officer M. Karthikeyan.According to a 2025 survey, the stray dog population within the Tiruchi city limits is estimated at 43,767. Under the Corporation’s Animal Birth Control programme, 34,561 stray dogs have so far been sterilised, vaccinated against rabies and released back to their original locations. From January 2026 till date, 7,910 stray dogs have received anti-rabies vaccinations.Officials said booster doses are essential as anti-rabies vaccines must be administered once every two years to ensure continued protection against the disease. The Corporation has therefore organised the special campaign to identify previously sterilised dogs and provide them with booster vaccinations.During 2025, the Corporation administered booster doses to around 5,000 stray dogs as part of its efforts. District Collector Pratik Tayal and Corporation Commissioner Veer Pratap Singh recently reviewed the ongoing vaccination drive and instructed officials to ensure that stray dogs are safely captured and vaccinated. Published - July 25, 2026 07:39 pm IST
