Thiruvananthapuram Corporation flayed for killing strays

 

At a press conference here the PFA activists alleged that soon after Supreme Court issued orders in November to intensify sterilisation programme, the city corporation had started catching dogs.

 

The corporation had claimed that as part of ABC programme dogs would be caught and taken to ABC Centres in Pettah and Thiruvallom for sterilisation and then left back from where they were caught. However nothing much has happened on this front.

 

They alleged that despite having trained dog catchers in its ranks, the corporation authorities were deploying untrained persons who were using barbaric methods to catch and kill dogs. 

 

The rules of mercy killing were being violated blatantly. Even dogs which had been sterilised under previous birth control programmes and even had “V” mark on the ears, had been captured and killed.

 

The PFA activists said that after receiving a large number of complaints, they had enquired into the matter and found that many dogs that had been killed were not “dangerous.”

 

These dogs were taken to old abattoir at Kunnukuzhy and killed. As per the 2001 Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules a monitoring committee has to be set up for the ABC programme. 

 

The committee should also have authorised NGOs working in the animal husbandry sector on board, under rule .4.

 

But the monitoring committee constituted by the corporation was in violation of the existing rules. The NGO also slammed the corporation for making false claims about posting adequate number of veterinarians and getting at least 15 dogs sterilised daily.

 

The PFA said violation of rules by corporation was highly condemnable and the wrong implementation of ABC would have disastrous consequences for the Capital.

 

It said because of the sustained campaign in media against stray dogs, the authorities were showing complete intolerance towards animals. Their activities were also creating a mindset even among children that animals can be killed with impunity.