THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even though the ministerial meeting has decided to start the vaccination drive in the state from today due to the increase in stray dog menace, it will take a few more days to get fully prepared. This is because the dog catchers are not fully prepared.

It is estimated that there are currently four lakh stray dogs in the state. However, only 78 people are involved in dog catching. The local and animal welfare departments have decided to implement the vaccination drive on a full scale from September 28 after appointing more people and giving them training and vaccination. 486 people have registered through local bodies in the last few days to catch dogs. They need to undergo training.

Guidelines for dog catchers

The Health Department has issued guidelines to save the lives of dog catchers. The guidelines were prepared by the State Expert Committee.