Dogged or bogged?
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid growing stray dog attack incidents and brewing protests among residents, the city corporation here has approached the High Court, seeking permission to reopen the district’s only Animal Birth Control (ABC) centre in Thiruvallam.
The centre was shut down following complaints regarding the deplorable condition of the centre and accusations of animal rights violations. Taking note of reports on deaths of stray dogs brought for sterilisation at the centre, the High Court intervened and sealed the facility back in 2021.
Though the court directed the civic body to revamp the centre, the renovation project dragged on for years, leaving the stray dog management programme in shambles. “The facility was shut down after the inspections by the High Court; now they have to visit the facility and give approval,” says a senior corporation official.
About `19 lakh worth of renovation was carried out at the centre. New kennels, isolation rooms for sick dogs, and post-surgery rooms are some of the new facilities added. “We will be able to do more sterilisation once the facility reopens. We hope the HC will give the approval without further delay,” says the official.
Since the shutting down of the ABC centre, the civic body set up a temporary facility at Pettah, where only a few surgeries are currently happening.
New ABC centre soon
The corporation has accorded an anticipatory sanction of Rs 2.97 crore in this year’s budget for setting up a new ABC centre in Thiruvallam. According to official sources, the building plan is ready and further discussions are scheduled for finalising the project.
Stray dog population declines
To scale up vaccination and improve stray dog management, the corporation has tied up with an NGO. As per a survey carried out by Compassion for Animal Welfare Association (CAWA), there are around 8,679 free-roaming dogs in the corporation limits. As per the survey conducted in 2016, there were around 20,000 stray dogs.
The survey has also revealed that around 42 per cent of the stray dog population is sterilised. “The NGO launched vaccination of stray dogs at Kattayikonam ward last week. So far, we have vaccinated about 5,100 dogs,” the official adds. “The NGO is digitally recording the details of these dogs and their locations in each ward and this will help us during sterilisation.”
Dearth of shelter homes
As many as 19 dogs that were rescued from an illegal shelter home at Shankhumukham have been accommodated at the ABC centre. The corporation shut down the shelter home following complaints from local residents.
“We don’t have any other rehabilitation centres or shelter homes to accommodate confiscated animals,” says the official, adding that the civic body has given a submission to the High Court in the matter.
“The relocation of these animals is key to reopening the ABC centre. The issue is legal and we cannot do anything about these animals as the case is before the court.”
Meanwhile, efforts to find locations for setting up rehabilitation or shelter homes have gone in vain.
“We have given letters to the councillors to find ideal locations for setting up shelter homes. We even inspected a couple of locations, but we cannot set up the facility in densely populated areas,” adds the official.
Status Check
- Rs 19 lakh worth of renovation was carried out at the ABC centre
- New kennels, isolation rooms for sick dogs, and post-surgery rooms are some of the new facilities added
- The corporation is also planning to set up a new ABC centre in Thiruvallam
Panchayat areas worst hit
On Sunday, a four-year-old was mauled by a stray dog at Mampally near Anchuthengu. The child suffered serious injuries. The decision of the HC to halt Kudumbashree from carrying out the ABC programme also came as a heavy blow to the local bodies in the district.
After the withdrawal of Kudumbashree, many local bodies and municipalities stopped earmarking funds for stray dog management initiatives. Amid the spike in rabies deaths in the state, the local bodies have been struggling to effectively manage stray dogs.
“ABC centres and vaccination alone will not help bring down the number of dog attacks,” says district veterinary officer Dr Arunodaya P V, adding that efforts are on to set up an ABC centre in Varkala.
“We need shelters to isolate dangerous and violent dogs.
Now following directions from the government, the panchayats and municipalities are taking efforts to find locations to set up shelter homes. But public resistance is a major challenge.”
‘Children falling prey to dogs’
The Federation of Residents’ Association Thiruvananthapuram (FRAT) recently staged a protest near the Secretariat, demanding the killing of aggressive dogs. “We have raised this issue so many times in the past, but our requests fall on the deaf ears of the authorities,” says FRAT patron Paraniyam Devakumar, adding that a memorandum has been submitted to the government in this regard.
“Stray dogs are a major issue in many parts of the city; people are afraid to go out. Those who travel in cars may not know about these pressing issues faced by the common man. Children are falling prey to these dogs. We want the government to kill these violent dogs that put the lives of people at risk.”