The escalating issue of stray dog attacks in Ernakulam is a growing concern, made worse by the district panchayat’s dog sterilization program, which is currently falling far short of its goals.
The gravity of the situation was highlighted recently when a three-and-a-half-year-old child suffered a severe injury, losing an ear after being bitten by a stray dog in Chittattukara, near Paravur, on October 12. The child received initial treatment at a local hospital before being transferred to the Government Medical College Hospital in Kalamassery for further care.
A primary reason for this setback is the severe scarcity of dog catchers, which has effectively crippled the two Animal Birth Control (ABC) centers operated by the district panchayat. These centers, located in Mulanthuruthy and Vadavucode block panchayats, are equipped to sterilize over 100 dogs monthly. However, they consistently miss this target, with most of their work involving paid sterilizations of pet dogs rather than addressing the rampant stray population.
District panchayat president Manoj Moothedan openly acknowledged the critical staffing issue. “Our main challenge is the severe shortage of dog catchers,” he stated. “We’ve had to rely on personnel from Alappuzha, but now even they are reluctant to take on the work. While we have sufficient funds and all outstanding payments for catchers up to August have been cleared, the workforce simply isn’t available.”
Moothedan speculated that the compensation of ₹500 per dog might be insufficient to attract workers. He cited a recent review meeting where it was revealed that the Vadavucode ABC center managed to sterilize only 17 dogs last month, a stark contrast to its monthly capacity of 100. “If we can’t meet this target, our efforts to control the stray dog population are severely undermined,” he emphasized.
Sources confirm that the Mulanthuruthy ABC center sterilized zero street dogs in September, focusing instead on 53 owned dogs during the same period. In October, the numbers remained low, with only seven stray dogs and eight owned dogs undergoing sterilization.
A member of the Mulanthuruthy ward suggested that delayed payments from the multi-panchayat funding system could be a deterrent for dog catchers. “The centers weren’t established just for pet sterilizations. We urgently need to scale up the program to address the street dog problem effectively, which requires timely and coordinated funding,” the member urged.
Amidst these challenges, there’s a glimmer of hope: a new ABC center in Thripunithura is fully prepared to commence operations, pending final approval from the Animal Welfare Board of India.