The Times of India 17.08.2012
Stray dog sterilization programme halts midway
city, the corporation is not in mood to honour a directive passed by the
ombudsman for local self government institutions to provide 15 dogs for
sterilization and rabies vaccination, once in every three days, to the
Kovalam-based charitable dog shelter, Animal Rescue Kerala (ARK).
The corporation entered into an MoU with ARK on March 26 to bring dogs
to the shelter but only 30 dogs were brought here till April, forcing
the founder of the ARK, UK citizen Avis Lyons, to file a petition before
the ombudsman, Justice MN Krishnan. In June, Justice Krishnan observed
that the doctor appointed by the ARK for the programme has been sitting
idle for most of May and that the corporation was not honouring its part
of the commitment. “Following the ombudsman’s intervention, the
corporation brought a few dogs but have not been showing due diligence
in taking them back, even after they have undergone the procedure. Dogs
are expected to leave the ARK five days after being brought there,” said
Lyons. The corporation’s representative had attributed its failure to
the lack of substitute vehicle for dogcatchers. “The ombudsman asked the
corportation to buy an additional vehicle to put the project back on
track but that is yet to happen,” said corporation health officer Dr
Sreekumar.
The ombudsman had stipulated that the dogcatchers
maintain a record of the location of the dogs, its gender, tag details
and colour of the animal for identification. Lyons alleged that the
dogcatchers do not drop the strays off from where they are picked up.
She also complained that the corporation does not take the dogs back on
time after vaccination and sterilization, leaving some animals behind at
the ARK for months at end.
“The dogcatchers never take back
the animals on time. Last time they came here without the register on
the drop-off location for the dogs. If you drop the dogs off at a place
that they are not familiar with, they will not find food and will be
attacked by other dogs. This adds to their stress and in turn these dogs
may attack humans. The dogcatchers and the corporation must be
sensitized about the programme,” she said.
