THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid an increase in stray dog attacks, rabies deaths and stray population, an expert panel has prepared an ambitious 10-year roadmap to bring the number of free-roaming canines in the state’s public spaces to zero through targeted measures, including responsible ownership.
The first two years will focus on bringing down the number of dogs in high density areas from 150-250 per sq km to 10-15 through intensive sterilisation, vaccination, adoption and scientific waste management.
The panel, jointly formed by the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU), animal husbandry department and the Kerala Grama Panchayat Association, made the suggestions in its report ‘A Comprehensive Roadmap for Humane Stray Dog Population Management and Eliminating Dog-mediated Human Rabies Fatalities through One Health’, submitted to the government.
The committee advocates an adoption-driven model, supported by a network of shelters, continuous animal birth control (ABC) operations, mandatory pet registration and microchipping, besides stringent measures to prevent the abandonment of pet dogs.
Principal director, Local Self-Government, Divya S Iyer said the department is fully aligned with the vision and roadmap laid out in the report. “On proposed timelines, we must be practical. Setting up the required infrastructure takes time,” she told TNIE. According to Divya, the biggest challenge before local bodies is the availability of qualified veterinarians. “We cannot rely solely on existing animal husbandry staff as they cannot be spared full-time for ABC operations,” she said.
Expert report proposes incentivising adoption for puppies, adult strays
“To address this, we are planning an incentive-based model for government vets per procedure, engaging retired veterinary professionals on a per-procedure remuneration basis, and empanelling accredited private veterinary hospitals and clinics where municipal facilities lack space,” Divya said.
The first phase also moots the creation of a dedicated corpus fund, expansion of ABC infrastructure, establishment of high volume veterinary facilities, formation of a Veterinary Public Health Wing and integration of pet registration and microchipping with the KSMART platform.
“The biggest hurdle with the current ABC implementation is lack of continuity. Since projects are tied to annual allocations, funding approval, execution get interrupted every year. ABC must be executed round-the-year for at least three to four years to achieve a visible reduction in stray population,” said Sanjay D, a member of the expert committee.
The report also proposes incentivising adoption for puppies and adult strays. “Not just puppies, but also adult dogs, particularly those capable of reproduction, must be taken off the streets through adoption and rehabilitation,” said Shibu Simon, another member and KVASU representative.
The 4-phase roadmap
Phase 1 (0-2 years)
Reduce estimated density from 150-250 dogs per sq km to 10-15 dogs per sq km.
Launch large-scale adoption drives for puppies and adult dogs.
Expand ABC centres and vaccination programmes
Establish shelters, high-volume veterinary facilities and trained rescue teams.
Introduce ward-level dog census and population mapping
Register and microchip dogs through KSMART.
Set up a Veterinary Public Health Wing.
Cut off food sources sustaining stray dog populations.
Phase 2 (2-4 years)
Bring stray dog density down to 2-5 dogs per sq km.
Achieve at least 70% vaccination coverage.
Establish cluster-based shelters.
Revive district-level Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) institutions with 24-hour response facilities.
Phase 3 (5-7 years)
Achieve 100% microchip-based tracking.
Prevent abandonment of pet dogs
Promote community sheltering and institutional adoption
Enforce strict licensing of breeders and regulation of pet shops
Phase 4 (7-10 years)
Ensure every dog has an identifiable owner or is housed in a shelter.
Achieve 100% responsible pet ownership
Eliminate the presence of free-roaming dogs from public spaces.
Stray trouble
The report said Keralam has an estimated stray dog population of around 4.5 lakh
There were 3.69 lakh dog bite incidents in 2025 and 122 rabies-related deaths between 2021 and 2025, it said