Stray dogs multiply in Kozhikode despite sterilisations under ABC programme

The 2018 census identified around 35,000 stray dogs in the city, but their population is believed to have doubled by now

The Animal Birth Control (ABC) centre of the Kozhikode Corporation at Poolakkadavu completed sterilisation of 10,000 stray dogs recently. The centre, founded in 2019, is acclaimed for being the best performing facility of its kind in the State. However, considering the density of stray dog population in the city, 10,000 sterilisations do no make much of a wave.

“Stray dog population in the city is multiplying beyond control, and instances of stray dog attacks too are on the rise. I have received any number of calls demanding termination of dogs in any possible manner,” said N.C. Moyinkutty, a Corporation councillor.

The Kozhikode Corporation is one of the few civic bodies in the State to have conducted ‘stray dog census’. Around 35,000 stray dogs were identified in the census held in 2018. However, experts estimate that the actual figures could have doubled by now.

“We could complete only 10,000 sterilisations in four years. It is going to take a century to get all the dogs in the city sterilised at this pace,” Mr. Moyinkutty said, questioning the efficacy of the ABC programme in tackling stray dog menace.

P.N. Ajitha, another councillor, stressed the need for veterinarians to adopt modern technology to reduce the post-operative recovery period of dogs, so that the ABC centre could be more productive.

“At present, the centre keeps sterilised dogs under observation for four days. This slows down the process. If dogs are discharged a day after the surgery, the centre can perform more surgeries every day,” said Dr. Ajitha, a gynaecologist. She suggested the use of laparoscopic surgery and sterilisation methods as in the case of humans for dogs.

However, V.S. Sreeshma, chief veterinary officer of the Corporation who is in charge of the ABC centre, said the idea was impractical in the case of dogs. “Laparoscopic surgery is performed on monkeys in north India, but it has never been done on dogs. We usually remove the whole ovary to ensure effectiveness of the surgery. But even that is not 100% effective,” she added.