Tiruchi Corporation steps up anti-rabies vaccination of stray dogs

A veterinarian administers anti-rabies vaccine to a stray dog at Karumandapam in Tiruchi. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Tiruchi Corporation has intensified the administration of booster doses of anti-rabies vaccines to stray dogs following a rise in dog-bite incidents reported across the city.According to officials, dog-bite cases have been reported from Kattur, Kamaraj Nagar, and Subramaniapuram, prompting the civic body to step up its vaccination efforts. An intensive drive is being conducted every Saturday, with two additional teams deployed to cover more dogs.At present, the special drive is being carried out by three dog-catching teams, assisted by a veterinary doctor. Around 200 sterilised stray dogs bearing ear notches are being identified, caught, and vaccinated with booster doses every day. After vaccination, the dogs are released back to the same locations where they were captured.Since the launch of the drive in June, around 18,398 doses have been administered. In August alone, nearly 9,000 stray dogs were given booster doses.According to City Health Officer M. Karthikeyan, booster doses are essential to ensure continued protection against rabies, as anti-rabies vaccination for stray dogs needs to be repeated once every two years.“We aim to administer around 10,000 booster vaccinations every month,” he said.According to a 2025 survey, the number of stray dogs in the Tiruchi city limits was 43,767. The Corporation has also intensified the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme, with around 40 stray dogs being caught every day for sterilisation.A total of 35,806 stray dogs had been sterilised till August, vaccinated against rabies, and released in their original locations. The civic body aims to complete the ABC programme by December.However, G. Ramakrishnan, District Honorary Animal Welfare Representative, raised concerns over the handling of rabies-infected dogs and the disposal of animal carcasses. He said rabies-infected dogs were not being adequately rescued or sheltered by the administration. “Five cases of rabies were reported in the past six months, and we took the affected animals into separate cages for isolation,” he said.Mr. Ramakrishnan pointed out the absence of designated burial grounds or a crematorium for deceased animals, besides a shortage of manpower to handle animal carcasses. Published - September 01, 2026 06:55 pm IST