Muscat: Muscat Municipality has invited bids from specialized companies to provide the service of catching stray dogs in the wilayats of Muscat Governorate and transporting them to the Rifq service headquarters.
As per the tender, the contractor should be committed to all means, terms, and conditions related to catching dogs in the best possible way and transporting them to the service headquarters following health and safety conditions.
The contractor must also take into consideration the geographical diversity and climatic fluctuations surrounding the implementation of the required work throughout the contract period.
Through its Rifq service, Muscat Municipality aims to control the density and number of stray animals within the geographical boundaries of the Governorate and provide all necessary measures to achieve the highest levels of environmental sanitation.
The Rifq service was launched by Muscat Municipality in 2024 to manage, care for, and rehabilitate stray and loose animals, including cats, dogs, and other species is the first of its kind in the Sultanate.
According to Ahmed Mohammed al Humaidi, Chairman of Muscat Municipality, "The service is an initiative by Muscat Municipality to care for and rehabilitate stray and loose animals. We have learned about the experiences of other countries in dealing with these animals and have established a center or headquarters for this activity."
The initiative seeks to find effective solutions to reduce the impact of stray and loose animals by taking effective measures that will ensure public health and create a safe and sustainable environment in Muscat Governorate.
The initiative is based on global practices in dealing with stray animals and includes the process of catching these animals, sterilizing them, and then returning them to their natural environment. It will also provide comprehensive medical care for these animals, which also limits the transmission of infectious diseases to humans from them.
People can report about stray channels through dedicated channels, including by calling the call center, or through the municipality's smart application called Baladiyati, after which the team will visit the site where these animals are located, he said.
They will be caught, sterilized, and cared for by specialized teams that have been trained inside and outside the Sultanate. "We are ready to share experiences with other governorates and will expand the initiative to include other types of animals."
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