Kerala’s War with Strays: Why the state wants to kill street dogs

More than eight months after the government launched a vaccination drive for stray and pet dogs, the problem continues to persist. A differently-abled 11-year-old boy lost his life after he was reportedly attacked and bitten by dogs in Muzhappilangad near Kannur. The state government has come under scrutiny for ignoring the state’s rising stray dog problem despite the harm to common citizens. This has also forced the administration to consider approaching the Supreme Court once again. Let’s take a closer look at the matter. Differently-abled boy dies The differently-abled 11-year-old boy identified as Nihal Nishad, who was attacked by a group of stray dogs Sunday evening at Muzhappilangad near Kannur, died at a hospital, police said, reported news agency PTI. The boy was found grievously injured around 300 metres away from his house and was taken to a nearby hospital but could not be saved, they said. “The boy with autism was missing from around 5 pm and a search party, comprising relatives, locals and the police, was looking for him in the locality. We found him around 8.30 pm near his house in a grievously injured manner and took him to the hospital,” police said. The ABC centre nearby, according to some locals, is not operational, according to The Telegraph Online. Following the incident, television images showed dog catchers arriving in the neighbourhood, capturing stray dogs in nets, and removing them. Also read: Not Dogs’ Own Country: Why Kerala is seeking Supreme Court’s permission to kill strays State government under fire The opposition parties are pinning the blame on the state government for ignoring the growing stray dog problem despite the threat it poses to the people. The vaccination and sterilising effort, which was begun with much fanfare in September as a “knee-jerk” response to a similar catastrophe, petered out gradually, according to social media users who accused an “apathetic government” of letting it. As Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan presented his state as a role model to the expatriate Malayali population in Times Square, New York, Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan remarked in a sarcastic Facebook post that stray animals tore up the child. He said, “Fortunately for him, there aren’t any vicious stray dogs in Times Square.” He claimed that rather than putting a stop to the out-of-control stray dog menace, the government was more interested in international junkets and publicity stunts. Leaders of the Congress and BJP emphasised how stray dogs posed a threat to senior persons, children walking to school, pedestrians, and coastal communities. Animals and birds were also assaulted by the dogs. Despite a 2022 High Court judgement for the administration, including the police, to rid public spaces of violent strays, they claimed that the government appeared to be “unconcerned” about the situation. The opposition leader VD Satheesan said that government lethargy has caused the government’s animal birth control and anti-rabies vaccination drives to stall. Private hospitals were frequently used by the general population for medical care. The effectiveness of immunisations given at public hospitals, however, was questioned. According to the head of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) K Sudhakaran, the government’s strays vaccination and sterilising campaign has only been implemented on paper. He claimed that the stray dog population was boosted by local authorities’ refusal to dispose of waste, which led to expanding garbage piles. Also read: Mutt Menace: Do we need stricter norms to deal with the rise in attacks by pet dogs? The government’s vaccination drive questioned Following a high-level conference to tackle the dire situation brought on by stray dogs in the state, a major immunisation programme for animals was conducted /in September in response to the growing number of dog attacks. Under the municipal authorities’ programme, around 10,000 canines were believed to receive vaccinations every day. The government also opened Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres in 152 blocks with the help of the animal husbandry department. Strays can be immunised, which helps to prevent deadly dog bites and is an effective way to combat the problem, the government had said. As of 2022 data, only 20,000 dogs were sterilised since 2016 under the initiative, showing the program’s failure. However, Nihal’s death casts doubt on the efficacy of the steps the administration has taken to address the stray dog problem. Also read: Noida baby dies after street dog attack: Why do strays become feral and how can they be tamed? SC to be approached again The state government said that it would ask the Supreme Court for authorisation to euthanize violent and rabies-infected stray dogs in light of the escalating number of occurrences of lethal stray dog behaviour and rabies deaths. According to a statement from Minister of Local Self-administration MB Rajesh, the administration is proactively addressing the problem. However, certain provisions of the union laws, such as the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2001, have made it difficult to resolve the problem. Mathrubhumi reported, the minister stated that in order to apply practical considerations, it is crucial to change the ABC Rules. While the Act enables the killing of wild animals that are a nuisance, it does not permit the same action for vicious stray dogs. According to the minister’s remark, stray dog attacks are not limited to Kerala alone; they also happen in areas like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Notably, Kerala had previously asked the apex court for authorisation to kill rabid and dangerous stray dogs under certain circumstances. The request was turned down, though because of it a huge campaign was launched against Kerala at the national level.

Economic Times reported the top court is currently considering a number of petitions on decisions made by various local bodies over the killing of stray dogs that have become a problem, particularly in Kerala and Mumbai.In an effort to overturn various high courts’ rulings allowing local entities to handle the problem of stray dogs in accordance with the law, some NGOs and individual petitioners have filed cases with the SC.

Kerala’s stray dog menace The state has long struggled with the stray dog problem. According to 2022 data, there are an estimated 280,000 stray animals living on Kerala’s streets, and their numbers are increasing by 20 per cent per year. In addition, 900,000 additional dogs are maintained as pets in Kerala. Approximately 100,000 individuals have been bitten by stray dogs last year, and 21 rabies-related fatalities have been documented. Authorities said that five of the 21 fatalities had anti-rabies vaccinations. The issue gained attention in local, national, and worldwide media after numerous deaths due to dog attacks triggered calls for severe action against stray dogs. With inputs from PTI Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.