After a six-year delay, the Chikkaballapur City Municipal Council began a street dog sterilisation campaign on Thursday. The previous sterilisation drive was held in 2018.

The initiative started in Silk Board locality, Ward No. 1, and will continue citywide for two and a half months. Despite issuing 12 tenders over the years, the project had stalled, primarily due to a lack of sterilisation facilities.

Now, ASRA, an animal welfare organization, has taken charge, securing a ₹20 lakh contract. “Seven trained personnel from Nepal are tasked with catching at least 20 dogs daily. Veterinarians, deputed by the district animal husbandry department, will perform the sterilisation. Each dog will cost ₹1,650 to catch and sterilise,” shared Radha of ASRA.

Stray dogs pose a significant issue across the city’s 31 wards, with rising cases of dog bites prompting public outcry. City Municipal Council president A. Gajendra urged residents to bring their pet dogs for sterilisation as the program will expand ward-by-ward.

This long-awaited move aims to curb the stray dog population and address public safety concerns effectively.