The Siliguri administration has made it mandatory for pet owners to get vaccinated along with their pets.

Tufan Maity, the deputy director of the district Animal Resources Development (ARD), said the move was part of a slew of measures undertaken by the administration following a rise in the canine population in the Siliguri region.

“The measures include anti-rabies vaccination of pets, sterilization of canines to control the birth rate, and awareness drives about the mandatory pre-bite vaccination of pet owners,” Maity said.

People who feed stray dogs regularly have also been directed to take the pre-bite vaccination.

A source in the civic body said the canine population across the SMC and adjacent areas is more than 30,000. Incidents of attack and dog bites have now become a regular menace.

Amit Jain, the leader of the opposition in the SMC, raised the issue at the board of councilors' monthly meeting last week.

“The residents are scared of stray dog attacks. Many cases are being reported in almost every locality. It is high time for the civic body to take immediate measures to prevent it,” Jain said.

A source in the Siliguri district hospital said that more than 150 cases of anti-rabies vaccination are reported daily.

Sources in the ARD also cited a World Health Organization report stating that almost 20,000 people die from rabies every year from across the country.

The current situation in Siliguri has also prompted the Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad (SMP) – which oversees the rural areas, the ARD department and Siliguri Metropolitan Police to hold a meeting at the sub-divisional officer’s office on February 4.

A joint awareness campaign is being organized in town. A procession with a tableau will be distributing leaflets with ‘Do’s and ‘Don’ts’ regarding rabies.

“Appeals are also being made to the pet owners to get vaccinated immediately along with their pets to avoid rabies,” the ARD official said.