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To strengthen animal birth control activities, the district administration has suggested that all local bodies conduct a census to identify the exact number of stray dogs in their limits. A few days ago, the district administration held a meeting of stakeholders including representatives of local bodies, NGOs, etc., to discuss the measures to be taken for stray dog control.The district administration has asked the local bodies to set up necessary shelters and emergency veterinary treatment facilities. District collector G Priyanka directed that special places and interested people should be identified for responsibly feeding the stray dogs. Licence, vaccination, sterilisation and microchipping should be ensured for pet dogs.She added that entry criteria for dogs to the shelters should be made precise and a system should be formed to permanently house only dogs that have completed treatment and vaccination.The collector opined that since imposing sudden restrictions on people who keep more dogs may lead to abandonment, legal measures should be formulated by allowing sufficient time to protect existing dogs.District panchayat president K G Radhakrishnan informed that Rs 30 lakh has been earmarked for the daily functioning of Mulanthuruthy and Vadavukode ABC centres and that steps are under way to start a new ABC centre in Aluva. Rs 4 lakh has also been allocated to panchayats for purchasing microchips required for ABC centres, he said.Those who attended the meeting suggested that there should be a system to ensure 24-hour veterinary treatment for dogs that meet with accidents or fall ill. Necessary shelters should be set up with govt support to avoid the situation of dogs needing treatment being abandoned after treatment.Along with stray dog control, the functioning of breeding centres and pet shops should be strictly monitored to prevent the abandonment of pet dogs, said Ambili Purakkal, representative of Daya Animal Welfare Organisation.She said registration systems, as per Pet Animal Breeding and Marketing Rules, should be strictly implemented and that the licences and functioning of existing breeding centres should be examined. She also pointed out that unregulated sale of animals in pet shops without following legal standards should be controlled.