Panchkula, Aug. 29 -- The Panchkula municipal corporation (MC) has shelved a proposal for "Puppy-Free Zones" (PFZ) put forward by an NGO, citing a lack of established rules and court orders to support such proposal. The decision was made during a meeting on Thursday attended by MC commissioner RK Singh, the deputy director of the animal husbandry department, and other members of the dog monitoring committee, including a representative from the NGO. There was also a lack of clarity regarding the appropriate age for sterilising puppies, which raised concerns. The NGO reportedly suggested a pilot project beginning in two sectors where they would pick up puppies for vaccination and later sterilise them once they are older. However, the commissioner stated that there are no existing rules or court directives that permit the removal of puppies from streets for this purpose. He explained that the proposal was not in line with established procedures and was therefore put in abeyance. During the meeting, the NGO also offered to assist the MC with its ongoing 100 percent sterilisation and vaccination drive. The NGO suggested that local feeders and NGOs could assist in the catching drive. They claimed that their existing bond with the stray dogs could help calm them down, especially aggressive ones or mothers with puppies, making it easier for the catching teams to handle them humanely for both vaccination and sterilisation.According to MC councillor Akshay Deep Chaudhary, a member of the dog monitoring committee, the MC's animal birth control (ABC) programme is running smoothly. Since its launch in 2021, approximately 4,000 dogs have been sterilised. He mentioned that around 8 to 12 dogs are sterilised daily. However, the drive was recently halted during the monsoon season to prevent post-operative infections, as it is difficult to keep dogs for more than ten days....