Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation has begun action to provide tick medication to stray dogs after sterilisation, following directions issued by Mayor Dimple Mehta during a general body meeting and a demand raised by BJP councillors.
The decision is intended to reduce the risk of tick infestation among stray dogs undergoing sterilisation procedures. The municipal administration has said that the treatment will be taken up after councillors highlighted the health problems faced by some animals following surgery.
Mira Bhayandar already has municipal veterinary clinics for treating stray animals and sterilisation centres to control the population of stray dogs. Under the existing process, dogs are brought to these centres for sterilisation surgery. The report said that the health of some dogs deteriorates after the procedure, increasing the risk of tick infestation and wounds on their bodies.
The issue was raised by BJP corporator Nayana Mhatre at a postponed general body meeting held on Friday. She said that the civic administration should also take responsibility for the health of dogs after sterilisation and demanded preventive tablets or medicines to protect them from ticks.
Mhatre’s demand links the sterilisation programme to the care animals receive after surgery. While sterilisation is being used by the civic body as a population-control measure, the concern raised before the general body was that the process should also include adequate post-operative attention for animals released back into the city.
BJP group leader Hasmukh Gehlot said that every animal has a right to live and that the administration should take the necessary precautions. The demand was supported by Mayor Dimple Mehta, who directed the administration to begin action to provide medicines for tick treatment.
Municipal Commissioner Radha Binod Sharma also assured the meeting that action would be taken on the issue. The report did not specify the number of dogs to be treated, the medicine to be used, the total cost of the programme or the schedule for implementation.
The proposed treatment adds a post-operative health measure to the municipal corporation’s existing veterinary and sterilisation infrastructure. Its implementation will determine whether dogs undergoing sterilisation receive preventive treatment and follow-up care before they return to public spaces across Mira Bhayandar.
The next step is for the municipal administration to initiate the process directed by the mayor and confirmed by the commissioner. Details on procurement, veterinary protocols, treatment coverage and monitoring were not provided in the report.
