12 hours ago
ABC of the stray issue
Straying too far
The problem is magnified by numbers. Kerala reported 2.89 lakh strays in the 2019 Livestock Census, and the population is believed to have grown. Yet in the first half of 2025, only 8,102 strays were vaccinated and 8,654 sterilised. This is only a fraction of the total.
Thiruvananthapuram corporation records show 42 per cent of its 8,700 strays sterilised and around 7,500 vaccinated. The civic body runs two ABC centres with a monthly target of 200 surgeries, official sources inform.
Kochi lags behind. 'Poor pay discourages dogcatchers from taking up the job,' says district panchayat president Manoj Muthedan.
Of the four ABC centres in Ernakulam district, only the Brahmapuram facility is fully functional. Corporation standing committee chairman T K Ashraf says more help is on the way: 'We are seeking to expand operations. At present, we have only four dogcatchers and one vehicle. This will be increased to 12, and we are looking at hiring more doctors.' Talks are also on with Mission Rabies to boost vaccinations.
However, not everyone is convinced. 'I don't understand why those who claim to be dog lovers are so adamant about rescuing animals that are harming and endangering human lives on such a big scale. Laws have to be redrawn; it is already too late. The ABC programme has clearly failed,' says P Rangadas Prabhu, president of the Ernakulam Residential Association.
To bring attention to this issue, the Confederation of Residents Welfare Association is organising a march to the secretariat on Tuesday in Thiruvananthapuram to put forth their demands, he adds.
However, veterinarians caution against viewing sterilisation alone as the solution. 'The ABC is not the complete solution. It is just a part of it,' says Dr M K Pratheepkumar, president of the Indian Veterinary Association.
'Most rabies vaccinations are given once to stray dogs; this is not correct. The complete course has to be given; only then will it have any desired effect,' he adds.
Former State Animal Welfare Board member M N Jayachandran points to the contested structure of the State Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, with the High Court recently striking down the government's move to appoint panchayat presidents as heads instead of district collectors.
Animal lovers, too, feel sidelined. 'Kerala has failed to use its strong network of feeders effectively,' says Maria Jacob, member of the state animal welfare board.
