Dhanbad: A day after a five-year-old boy was mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs at Gondudih here, the Dhanbad Municipal Corporation on Sunday issued a press release claiming significant progress in controlling the canine population and reducing dog bite cases.Sources said that Ankit Yadav was attacked by a group of dogs in the locality, leaving him critically injured. Despite efforts to save him, he succumbed to his injuries. The incident has intensified demands for urgent and effective action to prevent such incidents.The civic body stated that it has been implementing the animal birth control (ABC) programme effectively to curb dog-related incidents and eliminate rabies.As per the release, nearly 21,046 stray dogs have been sterilised and vaccinated against rabies so far. On an average, around 25 dogs are being captured daily for sterilisation and vaccination. The corporation also claimed that the programme is being conducted in compliance with the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, and standard operating procedures.Additionally, 55 locations have been designated as “feeding zones” to regulate dog feeding, while provisions for shelter homes, treatment, and care are in place. Preventive and post-bite anti-rabies vaccination drives are also being carried out, the civic body said.However, dog lover Kumud Prasad alleged that no visible shelter homes or designated feeding zones are present in the city. Stray dogs continue to roam freely in streets, parks and residential areas, he said, claiming the corporation’s claims were false.Attempts to contact municipal commissioner Ashish Gangwar and mayor Sanjeev Singh for their response on the issue were unsuccessful.