Trichy corporation to administer 10,000 anti-rabies booster for stray dogs

Trichy: As a part of the ‘rabies free city’ drive, Trichy corporation on Monday began administering booster doses of anti-rabies vaccine (ARV) to sterilized stray dogs to maintain long-term immunity against rabies.

A total of 10,000 stray dogs will be covered by the end of the financial year.Corporation commissioner Veer Pratap SIngh and Mayor Mu Anbalagan launched the drive. As per the dog population management (DPM) survey conducted by the local body in 2025, the city has 43,767 stray dogs. A total of 20,571 stray dogs were sterilised while others are yet to undergo animal birth control procedures and to be administered with ARV.Officials said between Jan 2025 and June 2026, as many as 11,752 stray dogs were neutered by the four ABC centres in the city.

Even though no rabies death has been reported in dog or human in the city in the past four years, the local body, to maintain the efficiency of the drive, has decided to administer booster doses to stray dogs that were sterilized in the past two years. The ARV effect may last for a year.“In 2025, we covered 5,000 stray dogs with booster doses. Those canines were sterilized during the 2023-24 period. For the ongoing financial year, we will cover 10,000 stray canines. Neutered dogs can be identified with the notches in their ear lobes,” an official said.