THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The animal husbandry department (AHD) has identified 170 hotspots across 14 districts where more than 10 incidents of stray dog bites have been reported on an average every month.
Thiruvananthapuram tops in the state with 28 hotspots, while Palakkad comes a close second with 26, said the data released by the department ahead of the government’s proposed mass vaccination drive and ABC (animal birth control) programme to rein in the stray dog menace in the state.
Idukki and Kasaragod districts are at the bottom of the list, with just one and three hotspots, respectively. The local self-government department will launch the statewide vaccination drive from September 20. AHD Minister J Chinchu Rani will chair a meeting on Thursday to finalise the plans.
A senior AHD official said the hotspots would be given priority for the vaccination drives and ABC programme.
“We need to prioritise these localities to contain the situation. Many local bodies have already launched vaccination drives and efforts are on to find temporary shelters to segregate dangerous stray dogs,” said the official.
However, the state government might find implementation of its proposals challenging as everything has to be done as per the guidelines and norms of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), said the official, adding, “ABC centres in particular should be equipped with all the facilities mandated by AWBI. Ensuring it won’t be easy for local bodies.”
As per a survey by the AHD, there were around 2.89 lakh stray dogs and 9 lakh pet animals in the state in 2019. Experts said the number might have gone up by 20 to 25 per cent in the past three years.
Though the local self-government department is planning to carry out the ABC aggressively, lack of infrastructure will pose a major challenge in its efforts.
Kerala has just 37 ABC centres at present that are partially or fully functional. The department is planning to set up 76 ABC centres to cover all 152 blocks.
“Vaccinating stray dogs will be especially challenging,” said Dr S Nandakumar, vice-president of the Kerala Chapter of Indian Veterinary Association.
Animal rights activists unhappy with state govt
Nandakumar said the government is planning to rope in community dog feeders and animal lovers who are ready to volunteer for the purpose. “Catching stray dogs, especially dangerous ones, will be tough and the government is ready to pay volunteers to do it. ABC centres should have operation theatres with ACs,” he said.
He said a multi-pronged approach having the cooperation of political parties, NGOs and others is necessary. Animal rights activists are unhappy with the way the government is taking decisions, especially its proposal to approach the Supreme Court seeking approval to kill rabid stray dogs.
“Killing is never a solution. And what is the definition of aggressive/ferocious dogs? No court will approve the government’s plea to kill stray dogs,” said activist and former AWBI member M N Jayachandran. Criticising the government, he said the state animal welfare board had not met even once since the stray dog issue was reported.