thiruvananthapuram a year after two lives were lost to stray dog attacks in the state local bodies are still struggling to implement the action plan launched by the state governmentas per the latest statistics available on the status of animal birth control abc programme in the state only 28 out of 87 municipalities currently implement the scheme fifteen municipalities have received approval from district planning committees for the abc project while eleven urban local bodies have not even informed the authorities of wardwise population of stray dogsaccording to official estimate collected from 82 urban local bodies ulbs there are 95479 stray dogs only 9975 dogs have been sterilised as per the latest data available on 13 january 2017 and only 26183 dogs have been vaccinated till now the action plan on abc is being implemented in urban bodies at a cost of rs 952 crorekozhikode which has the largest number of stray dogs among the six municipal corporations in the state did not fare well in terms of implementation of the scheme it has 20000 stray dogs identified in various wards and only 253 of them have been sterilised and 1150 pet dogs registered and vaccinated the scene is no different in case of panchayats thiruvananthapuram district administration which launched an ambitious campaign to make the district free of stray dogs by the first of this month failed to achieve desired result as per the latest review report 472 dogs have been brought for sterilisation at blocklevel shelters in the district while the estimated number of stray dogs in 73 panchayats in the district is 32583 officials said that delay in setting up basic infrastructure and sustained campaign have slowed down the project in many places permanent abc centres are yet to be established while existing centres require upgradation at certain places the scheme would take a minimum of five years to attain its objectives an official associated with animal husbandry department said dearth of dog catchers is cited as another reason even after the announcement of several incentives only 42 persons have registered as dog catchers in 93 urban local bodies officials with urban affairs directorate said abc schemes approved by dpc would be implemented soon also 16 ulbs have handed over the amount to district panchayats for implementation of the scheme