Thiruvananthapuram Corporation’s dog shelters face opposition from nearby panchayats

The Thiruvananthapuram Corporation’s plan to shift stray dogs caught from the city to shelters outside the city limits has not been progressing well, with yet another panchayat adjacent to the capital city opposing the setting up of dog shelters in its locality.

Early in February, the Karumkulam grama panchayat had opposed a dog shelter in its area, which it termed illegal as it is being run without permission from the panchayat. Now, the Kuttichal panchayat has come out against another private dog shelter in which around 200 dogs from the Corporation are being housed. The local body has issued a stop memo. The Thiruvananthapuram chapter of People For Animals has alleged ill-treatment of stray dogs at the facility.

Left Democratic Front (LDF) Parliamentary Party leader in the Corporation council S.P. Deepak. who visited the shelter in Kuttichal, said: “it was neither designed as a standard dog shelter nor does it function as one, rather it used to be a poultry farm. The individual running the facility has only a breeder’s licence and has not obtained a licence from the panchayat. The living conditions there are cruel. Approximately 200 dogs are being kept on the premises. I saw the dead body of a dog too, which was not removed from the shelter,” he said.

The LDF has alleged that the highly secretive manner in which the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme is being managed, without adhering to any of the guidelines, is suspicious. Although Opposition councillors have raised this issue multiple times during council meetings, the Mayor has consistently evaded providing a clear response, said Mr. Deepak.

According to an RTI response, over 1,300 dogs have been captured by the Corporation in three months from May. Yet, there are only 301 dogs currently accounted for across the Corporation’s two ABC centres and the shelter at Kuttichal. The status of the remaining 1,000 or so dogs remains unclear, says Mr. Deepak.

Karumkulam grama panchayat president Pushpam Vincent said that those running the dog shelter had promised in February to shift the facility within six months, but no step has been taken yet.

Meanwhile, Corporation Veterinarian Sreerag Jayan said that though the panchayats had opposed the dog shelters, no decision on their future has been taken yet. “We cannot release the dogs that are caught back into public spaces, near hospitals or schools or bus stations as it can become contempt of Supreme Court orders. The Corporation is conducting inspections every week and providing food. Some of the dogs in the shelters are obviously weak because these are diseased dogs caught from the streets,” he said.