The Times of India    27.08.2012

Stray dogs: Corporation, veterinary office pass the buck

KOZHIKODE: Even as the corporation and the district veterinary office keep blaming each other for the delay in implementing the animal birth control (ABC) programme to control the canine population in the city, stray dog menace in the city continues unabated.Stray dog attacks on two-wheeler riders at night in areas like Medical College, East Hill, West Hill, Chungam and Kallayi are a commonplace.Mayor A K Premajam said the civic body had been getting large number of complaints on this. She said the corporation was not in a position to control the dog population as the government had not yet granted it permission to appoint dog-catchers.

"Corporation can only try and check stray dogs' access to garbage. Waste getting accumulated in public places is the major reason why dogs proliferate," she said.She also blamed the district veterinary office for not implementing the ABC programme.Meanwhile, Kozhikode chief veterinary officer Dr M M Mathayi said the corporation should appoint dog-catchers and only then his department could think of sterilizing dogs."The department has already submitted a detailed project report to the corporation on curbing the stray dog menace. However, the corporation is yet to take any action based on it.

The district veterinary office is well-equipped to sterilize street dogs, but the corporation should be ready to implement the proposals submitted by the department," he said.Meanwhile, the Atholi panchayat has formed local-level youth squads to deal with the issue in the backdrop of rabid dog attacks.More than 40 people in Ottambalam, Velur West and Kuniyilkadavu areas in the panchayat were admitted to the medical college hospital last week after they were bitten by rabid dogs. Rabid dogs also created panic in Kizhur and Thachankunnu regions in Payyoli panchayat last week.

"It is difficult to deal with the situation as killing of street dogs has been banned. However, panchayat authorities cannot stop people who kill dogs that attack them," said panchayat president Rama Paloth.She also said the panchayat was planning to appoint dog-catchers and also sterilize street dogs.