Thiruvananthapuram: In the backdrop of increasing reports of stray dog bites in the state, Kerala local administration minister K.T. Jaleel said on Friday that the state would be rid of all stray dogs within three and a half years.
The minister made the statement during the state assembly when the stray dog issue was raised in the House. One estimate states there are some 300,000 stray dogs in Kerala.
The canine issue came back to the limelight this week when a 90-year-old man was bitten and mauled to death by a group of stray dogs at Varkala, about 40km from the state capital, on Wednesday. He was sleeping in the open, in the portico of his house. Irate local residents killed dozens of stray dogs after the incident.
Jaleel said there were some legal hurdles in culling stray dogs, but Opposition members argued that the law permitted culling of dogs that were violent. The Opposition also demanded that the financial support received by dog lovers’ groups be investigated.
Four persons have been killed over the past four months in Kerala in stray dog attacks. One of the key reasons attributed to the phenomenon of rising stray dog population is the large-scale dumping of wastes in and around residential areas.
Opinion has been divided in Kerala about how to deal with stray dogs, with one side arguing that people’s safety should be given top priority and the other side standing for animal rights.
Federal minister Maneka Gandhi is among those who have objected to Kerala’s move to cull stray dogs, while Kerala businessman Kochouseph Chittilappilly has argued for culling of the canines.
A committee appointed by India’s apex court had recommended an “immediate reduction” in stray dog population and not just birth control measures.
