Surat : Can a stray dog be caught, sterilized, and vaccinated a staggering four times within a year? In the diamond city of Surat, this bizarre scenario has become a reality. Recent revelations have exposed an astonishing situation where, according to an RTI (Right to Information) activist, the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has exceeded all norms by capturing and sterilizing 10,255 stray dogs during the 2022-23 period, despite a population count of 2,754 stray dogs in all 101 wards conducted during the 20th livestock census.
Sanjay Ezhawa, the RTI activist, unearthed this astonishing information when he sought details through two separate RTI applications—pertaining to stray dog census from the animal husbandry department and stray dog sterilization from the SMC.
The first RTI revealed that the 20th livestock census in the 101 wards of Surat Municipal Corporation counted 2,754 stray dogs. Surprisingly, this information had already been reported by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying back in October 2018.
In response to the second RTI application, the SMC disclosed that they had caught a total of 33,761 stray dogs over the years. The breakdown includes 9,987 dogs in 2018-19, 7,869 dogs in 2019-20, 1,697 dogs in 2020-21, 3,962 dogs in 2021-22, and a staggering 10,255 dogs in 2022-23.
To make sense of the data from both RTIs, it appears that SMC caught the same dog more than three times in 2018-19, a dog was caught three times in 2019-20, only 1,697 out of 2,754 dogs were captured and vaccinated in 2020-21, and a dog was caught once or more during 2021-22, with a dog being caught an astounding four times in 2022-23.
When considering the population of stray dogs as per the SMC for the last five years and comparing it with the actual population recorded by the animal husbandry department, the conclusion is baffling: one dog was caught, vaccinated, and sterilized a staggering 12 times in just five years.
Sanjay Ezhawa, reflecting on the absurdity of the situation, stated, “The information revealed under two separate RTIs is funny and shocking. If we consider the population of stray dogs at 2,754, then the SMC caught the same dog 12 times for vaccination and sterilization in the last five years. If a dog has been vaccinated and sterilized 12 times, the dogs ought to become friendly with humans and not indulge in biting.”
Indeed, dog bites have been a growing concern in Surat. The RTI data shared with Ezhawa indicates that 22,503 dog bite cases were reported in 2022-23, with an additional 11,818 cases in 2023-24. This means that in the last two years, a single dog in the city has bitten as many as 13 people.
Ezhawa noted, “There is no match between the number of dogs in Surat city, the number of dogs caught, and the number of dog bites compared to the dog livestock census.”
The financial implications of this excessive catching are staggering. Over the past five years, the Surat Municipal Corporation has spent a total of Rs. 3.29 crores, equivalent to Rs. 11,931 per dog. The SMC has allocated Rs. 3,28,60,204 for capturing and managing 33,761 stray dogs between 2018-2019 and 2022-2023, with 30,300 dogs receiving vaccinations and sterilizations.
With such startling discrepancies in dog population figures, capture rates, and the ongoing issue of dog bites, an urgent investigation is warranted to understand who has benefited from these activities. As the number of dogs caught and dog bite cases remains high, while the dog population in Surat has seemingly decreased, it raises important questions that require answers, stated Ezhawa.
