Steps sought to curb stray dog menace in Kochi

UDF councillors protest in Kochi Corporation demanding stronger animal birth control programs due to rising street dog menace.

Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) councillors in the Kochi Corporation staged a protest here on Saturday demanding steps to strengthen the animal birth control (ABC) programmes of the civic body as they alleged that street dog menace had turned worse in the city.

The councillors alleged that sterilisation surgeries as part of the ABC programme had come down to less than 300 over the past three years. At the start of the programme nearly 14 years ago, around 1,000 such surgeries were held annually, they claimed.

This had resulted in an increase in street dog population in the corporation area. Antony Kureethara, UDF councillor, alleged that the ruling front had failed to address the problem and the number of people seeking treatment in hospitals for dog bite had been on the rise.

The ABC programme had been hit by the lack of workers, vehicles and veterinary doctors. Though the ruling front had claimed that facilities would be set up at Brahmapuram to shelter around 100 dogs, the target had not been met yet. Only one vehicle was available for catching dogs across the 74 wards under the corporation, he alleged.

The UDF councillors have urged the council to operate at least two ABC units efficiently. The units deployed to capture dogs for sterilisation should also work in the night hours. The protest was held in front of the Kochi Corporation office.

The Corporation authorities had said last week that the Animal Birth Control centre at Brahmapuram would soon be strengthened with additional veterinary surgeons, animal handlers, para-veterinarians, and vehicles for catching stray animals.

Two more veterinary surgeons would be appointed in addition to the one full-time surgeon and a Corporation surgeon who visits the unit thrice a week, they said.