For the first time, Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) will conduct an extensive survey of stray dogs in the city to help control the stray dog population. Although the law mandates such surveys, it had not been implemented until now. The survey will be carried out in collaboration with Animal Care Trust, Shaktinagar, and Worldwide Veterinary Service.
Mapping of all 60 wards has already been completed in preparation for the survey, which will use a mobile application to collect data. A minimum of 120 volunteers will be needed for this initiative, and registration is currently underway. Each team, consisting of two members—one for driving and the other for identifying and uploading data—will cover one ward over three days. The collected data will include geo-tagged images of stray dogs, their gender, sterilization status, and the number of puppies.
The survey will be conducted early in the morning, from 5:30 am to 8 am, when stray dogs are most visible. A special team will be deployed to conduct the survey in areas where two-wheelers cannot reach. These surveyors will travel on foot to gather data.
Suma Nayak from Animal Care Trust mentioned that schools and colleges have been approached to involve students in the survey, with around 60 volunteers already registered. A training session for volunteers is set for February 9. The survey will take place from February 10 to 13, with a final report expected by the end of March.
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