<p>Stray dog population in the city has dropped by nearly 10% since 2019, the BBMP’s dog census has revealed.</p>.<p>Senior Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials have attributed the drop to the civic body’s Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme.</p>.<p>“Dog breeding cycles are high,” BBMP Special Commissioner (Health) Dr Trilok Chandra explained. “They have nearly five to six cycles a year. So, dog population increases in a geometric progression. Even with such a high number of breeding cycles, we managed to bring down the population by 10%. This proves the effectiveness of the ABC programme.”</p>.Bengaluru public toilets case: HC fines Karnataka govt for failing to respond.<p>Data from the recent census, which puts the number of stray dogs in the city at 2.79 lakh, has revealed that 71.85% of the dogs had been neutered, a far higher number than the year 2019 when the numbers were 51.16%. </p>.<p><strong>Methodology</strong></p>.<p>For the survey purpose, the entire BBMP area was divided into 6,850 grids of 0.5 sqkm. Of this, 1,360 micro zones were chosen for enumeration. </p>.<p>“We chose the micro zones using stratified random sampling methodology and this included representation from areas with lakes, slums, and commercial areas. We followed the sight-resight methodology to ensure precision,” explained Dr KP Suresh, principal scientist (Biostatistics), ICAR-NIVEDI.</p>.<p>The survey was conducted between July 11 and August 2 by 50 teams consisting of two members. Dr Suresh added that the numbers were 98% accurate.</p>.<p><strong>Why census?</strong></p>.<p>Dr Chandra stressed the need to keep a tab on the number of stray dogs. “This is basically to prevent human-animal conflict. We should also ensure animals have a conducive environment to cohabit,” he added.</p>.<p>The numbers also help determine the future course of action, Dr Chandra said.</p>.<p><strong>5-in-1 vaccine</strong></p>.<p>In a proud first, the civic body will soon become the first municipality in the country to vaccinate stray dogs with the 5-in-1 vaccine.</p>.<p>Announcing the plans, BBMP Special Commissioner (Health) Dr Trilok Chandra said that the decision is a proactive measure. “Canine distemper is a highly contagious disease. We have also observed that the mortality is also fast,” he said.</p>.<p>The 5-in-1 vaccine provides protection against the Canine Distemper Virus, Canine Adenovirus 1 and 2, Canine Parainfluenza, and Canine Parvovirus. The civic body is consulting some institutions to understand the use of microchips and geotagging collars to monitor the dogs, also a first-of-its-kind initiative.</p>.<p>“There are instances where the same dog is given anti-rabies vaccination multiple times,” Dr Chandra said, adding that the civic body is working on two pilot projects studying microchips and geotagging collars.</p>.<p>“We will choose which one is to be used based on the results,” he added.</p>
<p>Stray dog population in the city has dropped by nearly 10% since 2019, the BBMP’s dog census has revealed.</p>.<p>Senior Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials have attributed the drop to the civic body’s Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme.</p>.<p>“Dog breeding cycles are high,” BBMP Special Commissioner (Health) Dr Trilok Chandra explained. “They have nearly five to six cycles a year. So, dog population increases in a geometric progression. Even with such a high number of breeding cycles, we managed to bring down the population by 10%. This proves the effectiveness of the ABC programme.”</p>.Bengaluru public toilets case: HC fines Karnataka govt for failing to respond.<p>Data from the recent census, which puts the number of stray dogs in the city at 2.79 lakh, has revealed that 71.85% of the dogs had been neutered, a far higher number than the year 2019 when the numbers were 51.16%. </p>.<p><strong>Methodology</strong></p>.<p>For the survey purpose, the entire BBMP area was divided into 6,850 grids of 0.5 sqkm. Of this, 1,360 micro zones were chosen for enumeration. </p>.<p>“We chose the micro zones using stratified random sampling methodology and this included representation from areas with lakes, slums, and commercial areas. We followed the sight-resight methodology to ensure precision,” explained Dr KP Suresh, principal scientist (Biostatistics), ICAR-NIVEDI.</p>.<p>The survey was conducted between July 11 and August 2 by 50 teams consisting of two members. Dr Suresh added that the numbers were 98% accurate.</p>.<p><strong>Why census?</strong></p>.<p>Dr Chandra stressed the need to keep a tab on the number of stray dogs. “This is basically to prevent human-animal conflict. We should also ensure animals have a conducive environment to cohabit,” he added.</p>.<p>The numbers also help determine the future course of action, Dr Chandra said.</p>.<p><strong>5-in-1 vaccine</strong></p>.<p>In a proud first, the civic body will soon become the first municipality in the country to vaccinate stray dogs with the 5-in-1 vaccine.</p>.<p>Announcing the plans, BBMP Special Commissioner (Health) Dr Trilok Chandra said that the decision is a proactive measure. “Canine distemper is a highly contagious disease. We have also observed that the mortality is also fast,” he said.</p>.<p>The 5-in-1 vaccine provides protection against the Canine Distemper Virus, Canine Adenovirus 1 and 2, Canine Parainfluenza, and Canine Parvovirus. The civic body is consulting some institutions to understand the use of microchips and geotagging collars to monitor the dogs, also a first-of-its-kind initiative.</p>.<p>“There are instances where the same dog is given anti-rabies vaccination multiple times,” Dr Chandra said, adding that the civic body is working on two pilot projects studying microchips and geotagging collars.</p>.<p>“We will choose which one is to be used based on the results,” he added.</p>