Over 390 stray dogs get sterilized & vaccinated

Pune: Over 390 stray dogs in Kalyaninagar have been sterilized and vaccinated by the KNRA Woof Group to curb frantic and aggressive behaviour in dogs.
The KNRA Woof Group has sterilized over 160 stray dogs in the area, and given yearly anti-rabies vaccinations to 230 others.

Sterilization not only curtails the dog population but also checks behaviours such as howling, chasing and aggression.

Ranjan and Manjiree Rajgopaul, the founders of the group, have a network of animal welfare volunteers including feeders, volunteers with medical treatment know-how and donors who work hand in hand in Kalyaninagar.

Manjiree said that the sterilization and vaccination activities by the group are to bring home the fact that simply relocating dogs from one area to another is not the solution to controlling dog population. "Relocating, which is illegal according to the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) guidelines, also tends to create a space for other dogs to fill in," she said.

She said that dog population can only be controlled through sterilization.

"Also, with sterilization, the aggression nature of dogs gradually fizzles out, besides reduction in other unwelcome behaviours," she said.

She added that if residents start feeding street dogs in their respective areas, it will not only help reduce aggression in dogs, as they tend to become friendly to the feeders, but also aid in catching them for vaccination and sterilization.