Why The Kerala Government's Policy On Stray Dogs Is Brutal & Flawed

The increasing number of stray dogs in the country and the ill effects associated with the growth in their population is a problem that has been plaguing the country for years. According to World Health Organisation estimates, the Indian stray dog population is as high as 250 lakh. The report also suggests that 36 percent (20,000 out of 55,000) of the global estimated annual rabies deaths occurs in India. This is a problem that needs to be tackled effectively right away, but first, it is important to get all the facts right.

Earlier this year, on July 10, the Kerala government announced a new policy detailing how it would like to solve this problem, after realising that about 40,000 canine bite cases were reported in the state, over the past eight months. The new policy suggests that local self-government institutions can cull strays that have been deemed ‘aggressive’ and ‘dangerous’. But Chief Minister Oommen Chandy agreed that killing these animals is not the only way and that they plan to take a multi-pronged approach, including sterilisation of strays to effectively curb the issue. This decision led to the creation of two camps: the first, hailed this decision; but the second, was horrified by it.

According to an NDTV report, there are 2.68 lakh street dogs in Kerala and 1.6 lakh canine bite cases are reported annually. While people almost always associate dog bites with strays, there is another side to this. The Times of India, based on the data collected from the Ernakulam General Hospital, reported that out of the 1,074 dog bite cases that were registered with them until July, in 75.6 percent (812) of cases, pet dogs were the culprits. Since the Ernakulam General Hospital handles the highest number of dog bite cases per day in the district, the data from other hospitals is expected to be no different.

When Oommen Chandy announced the party’s decision to cull street dogs, he was quick to add that there were no legal hurdles that could prevent them from doing so. However, this order blatantly flouts the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules of 2001 under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, which was created, after a petition filed by People for Elimination of Stray Animals, where the Supreme Court had ruled that only rabid, terminally ill or mortally wounded animals were to be euthanized. The Supreme Court also added that the way to deal with ‘trouble causing’ dogs was to have them captured by the Animal Welfare Board, who would neuter and vaccinate the strays before releasing them.

However, the state remained unfazed by the protests. A senior government official, G K Vardhana Rao said, "Kerala Tourism has no worries over the online campaign, claimed to be by a group of animal buffs urging boycott of the state..The government decision is to deal with rabies infected and dangerous stray dogs... We are making the state much more tourist friendly and safer for visitors." He added that the State is expecting a 15-17 percent growth in tourism this year. On Twitter, MP Shashi Tharoor shared a petition titled ‘Stop the hate campaign against Kerala’ on change.org, suggesting that there was no reason to spread hatred towards the state solely based on its stance on the issue. There are also several local governing bodies that suggested  exporting dog meat to northeast Indian states and  countries like China and South Korea, where the meat is consumed, claiming it would help generate foreign revenue. This suggestion further irked animal activist groups.

Keeping aside all sentiments and judging the entire situation objectively, it couldn't be more obvious that culling is not a solution to the problem. Putting down rabid dogs and culling stray dogs are extremely different from each other and it is extremely important for the government to make an informed decision, without being driven by fear. Mass-sterilisation and vaccination is not just the most humane way, but also the most effective and economical solution.  If organisations similar to Help in Suffering and Blue Cross were to take up the responsibility to help resolve the issue, the possibility of Kerala joining Jaipur and Chennai as areas free of instances of rabies would be really high.

Words: Krupa Joseph