Bhubaneswar Launches Citywide Stray Dog Census Across 67 Wards

Bhubaneswar : The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday launched a citywide stray dog census, covering all 67 wards of the capital to collect reliable data for better management of the canine population.

The survey is being conducted between 5 am and 7 am, the hours when stray dogs are most active and visible in residential areas. A total of 410 teams, comprising expert veterinarians, civic officials, Swachh Sathis, sanitation workers, and supervisors, have been pressed into service to carry out the exercise in two phases.

Officials said the census aims to determine the total number of street dogs, assess population density across wards, and identify hotspots. The findings will be used to frame targeted strategies for stray dog management, improve canine health, and curb the spread of rabies and other diseases. It will also serve as a foundation for scaling up the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme.

Appealing for public cooperation, BMC Mayor Sulochana Das urged residents to extend support to enumerators during the census, stressing that the success of the drive depends on community participation.