THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid concerns sparked by the local self-government department (LSGD) directive to implement the Supreme Court’s order permitting euthanasia of rabid, incurably ill and demonstrably dangerous stray dogs, the animal husbandry department has proposed a detailed standard operating procedure (SOP) that seeks to scientifically define a ‘violent’ or ‘vicious’ dog and introduce safeguards against arbitrary euthanasia.
According to the guidelines, a stray dog is considered violent or vicious if it has executed an unprovoked attack resulting in a human being suffering a bite or an unprovoked attack on more than two livestock or stray animals.
According to the animal husbandry department, the LSGD order required greater clarity to prevent misuse and protect veterinarians from becoming the sole decision-makers.
Animal husbandry department deputy director Sanjay D told TNIE that the draft guidelines, with all recommendations,have been submitted to the LSGD for approval as a separate government order.
“The current system is impractical. The Supreme Court’s directions need to be translated into a scientific and practical protocol for implementation. The proposed SOP seeks to clearly define what constitutes a ‘dangerous’ or ‘violent’ dog,with an ‘unprovoked bite’ emerging as a key criteria. We hope the LSGD comes out with a clearer order incorporating the guidelines in the SOP,” Sanjay said. Given the circumstances, the Indian Veterinary Association on Wednesday met the LSGD principal director to raise the issue.
“The Supreme Court has permitted euthanasia only under specific circumstances. The challenge now is to ensure that it is implemented through a clear, scientific and transparent manner.
Rabid, incurably ill and demonstrably dangerous dogs cannot all be treated under a single protocol. There must be well-defined criteria to identify dangerous dogs so that euthanasia is carried out only in genuinely eligible cases and not based merely on complaints,”said V K P Mohankumar, state president of the Indian Veterinary Association.
LSGD order requires greater clarity: Dept
The animal husbandry department says the LSGD order required greater clarity to prevent misuse and protect veterinarians from becoming the sole decision-makers
It proposes that a dog should never be euthanised merely because of a public complaint. Instead, trained dog catchers should capture the animal and shift it to an Animal Birth Control centre or shelter for observation