Kozhikode: To address the rising threat of stray dogs to public safety, the Corporation has revived plans to establish a dedicated dog park.

 The project, which aims to shelter stray dogs collectively at one place, was included in last year’s Corporation budget and has now been revived. The Corporation is moving to invite expressions of interest to identify suitable land for the facility.

As part of it, the agenda concerning the dog park will be discussed in the Corporation Council meeting scheduled for today. The council will consider inviting private parties to propose suitable land for the project. Once approved, the steps to establish the park will be expedited. The biggest challenge remains finding land within the Corporation’s limits that is suitable for the project.

The civic body is planning to implement the project either independently by leasing land or by engaging private entrepreneurs. The project envisages relocating stray dogs within the Corporation limits to the new location and rehabilitating them with food after sterilisation. Plans also include constructing a large compound wall and keeping the animals safe in spacious cages.

The idea of integrating the dog park project with the existing Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme of the civic body is also being explored. The ABC project in Kozhikode is progressing efficiently, with 14,500 stray dogs already undergoing sterilisation.

The primary objective is to provide shelter for violent stray dogs in a controlled environment. In addition, stray dogs suffering from various diseases will also be protected and cared for at the facility.