Kerala’s new pet licensing policy leaves animal rescuers a worried lot

Separate norms sought for shelter home operators

With local bodies in Kerala moving to a stricter pet licensing policy, many animal rescuers and shelter home operators who have been taking care of abandoned and sick dogs are facing a crisis. The revised annual licensing fee is a major concern for those running such small facilities with a large number of dogs at their homes or rented spaces.

“The increasing cost of medicine and food for the sheltered dogs alone is a huge responsibility for the caretakers. I have 14 such dogs in my custody and I will have to struggle a lot to secure the licence fee of ₹500 for each and its annual renewal,” says Samson Samuel, a well-known pet rescuer in the northern Kerala region. Mr. Samuel, hailing from Kannur district, says the new law, introduced without considering the challenges of voluntary caretakers, will gradually lead to the closure of many local rescue shelters.

The members of various voluntary rescue service groups in Kozhikode district say there are no rehabilitation shelters controlled by the local administration that provide satisfactory service. The work is mostly done by six smaller income groups of animal lovers in the city, they add.