Stray dogs in the capital have been giving dog catchers slip for last five years as the drive to neuter them continues without a definite deadline. As per an estimate, around 40,000 stray dogs roam on the streets of Ranchi, out of which only 40 per cent have been sterilised.
"The exact number of street dogs in the city cannot be determined; there always are some who we miss while counting. We have been working on tentative number by far. The only data we receive is about the number of dogs sterilised, and it is this number that we quote when asked," stated RMC Medical Officer (Health) Ajay Kumar Manjhi.
Personnel of Helping Organisation for People, Environment and Animal Trust, the NGO deputed by RMC for spaying strays, have even complained of people forbidding them to take street dogs.
"Sometimes they hide inside houses or elsewhere, and we have a hard time in finding and sterilising all the canines on Ranchi's streets," said Nandan Sharma, Manager of HOPE and Animal Trust.
The drive has been executed without knowing the exact number to be castrated. And this does not pose a problem, according to Sharma.
"We operate on 35 dogs every day; that is the only definite number we have. The already neutered dogs are marked with paint, which stays for four days, and by snipping their ears. This way we know which are sterile and which have to be caught for surgery," said Sharma.
He added, "We work from ward to ward. As we sterilise and mark all stray dogs we caught in a ward we move on to the next ward. Our surveor then keeps tabs on the wards we left to identify dogs which were sterilised and which escaped surgery. The findings are maintained in a server, which we go through before re-entering the same ward."
Claiming the drive to be effective, Sharma stated that the dogs sterilised in the past few years will only live their remaining lives but will not add to the population of stray dogs in Ranchi. The present decline in their numbers will be more pronounced as time passes by.
But, funds crunch hounds this drive too. Sharma said, "There are times when the funds required are not released by RMC. This results in our inability to provide the adequate services when required."
He further added, "Currently we are working with 2 vehicles and 15 personnel. It is common that the salaries delayed or a dysfunctional vehicle takes more time than usual to get fixed. This affects our efficiency while doing our job."