Residents call for change in ABC rules to curb stray dog menace

The Residents Apex Council of Kozhikode has urged the State and Central governments to bring about appropriate changes to the Animal Birth Control (ABC) rules to curb the stray dog menace.

Speaking to reporters in Kozhikode on Saturday (September 13, 2025), council president M.K. Beeran said the government should consider offering euthanasia for rabid stray dogs. The council is planning to stage a convention at the Kozhikode collectorate on Tuesday (September 16, 2025), demanding the immediate attention of the governments in this matter. National general secretary of the Confederation of Residents’ Welfare Associations P.C. Ajith Kumar will inaugurate the convention.

The council has come forward with a set of demands in the backdrop of the recent Supreme Court verdict allowing State governments to take appropriate action on the stray dog issue across the country. “People cannot walk freely on the roads. Two-wheeler riders face accidents regularly due to stray dogs. ‘Right to Life,’ one of our fundamental rights, is being violated. Yet the governments are hiding behind technicalities, doing nothing to resolve the situation,” Mr. Beeran said.

The council alleged that governments are being influenced by manufacturers of rabies vaccines, which cost between ₹5,500 and ₹6,500. “The sale of these vaccines may cross crores in every State, where around 3 lakh people face stray dog attacks every year,” Mr. Beeran added.

The council has also demanded strict action against those who feed stray dogs in public. It further demanded that the dogs be moved to shelters after sterilisation, rather than being released back to the areas from which they were captured.

A helpline and a mobile application to report stray dog attacks, along with immediate compensation for the victims, are among the other demands.