We have lost to these dogs…! This expression may sound harsh. Yet, whether in towns or in villages, Malayalees nowadays utter this complaint at least in their hearts. There is even the grievance that people cannot step outside without fear of dogs. Though the menace of stray dogs has become so deadly, no preventive measures have yet been fully effective, leaving the public increasingly disappointed and under the shadow of fear. Stray dog menace has now become an issue of concern not only in Kerala but across different parts of the country, to the extent that even the Supreme Court of India is watching it with anxiety.
Frightening statistics lie around us:
Almost everyone knows at least one person who has been bitten by stray dogs. From children to the elderly, many have suffered dog bites. Whether in rural cleanliness or in busy urban areas, the dog bites continue. A study in 2011 revealed that every year, 17.4 million people in India are bitten by dogs. The same study reported that rabies causes about 25,000 deaths annually.
In Kerala, the situation is severe. Between 2016 and 2021, 809,629 stray dog attacks were reported in the state, resulting in 42 deaths from bites during that five-year period. These shocking figures come from Right to Information (RTI) documents. The State Commission for Protection of Child Rights submitted figures to the Supreme Court regarding stray dog attacks: in 2019 there were 5,794 cases, in 2020 there were 3,951, in 2021 the number rose to 7,927, and in 2022 it reached 11,776.
We must also consider the data provided in the Lok Sabha by the Union Minister for Animal Husbandry. He presented nationwide figures for dog bite incidents: in 2022, 2,189,909 people were bitten; in 2023, the number rose to 3,052,521; and in 2024, it climbed further to 3,715,713. The summary is clear: every year, both dog attacks and the number of victims are increasing.
How many people, how many dogs?
In Kerala, there are 83 dogs for every 10,000 people, according to the National Livestock Census. The ratios in Goa (183), Karnataka (163), and Gujarat (132) are even more alarming. In Kerala, among every ten lakh people, 1,470 are bitten by dogs, according to official statistics.
What happened to ABC?
The Animal Birth Control (Dog) programme, or ABC, was introduced by the Central Government to control stray dogs. The scheme was framed under Sections 38(1) and 38(2) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. Its highlight is to catch stray dogs and sterilize them. Though the scheme has been in place for nearly three decades, apart from the huge public money spent, it has not produced any effective solution. In many places there are no ABC centres; where they exist, efficiency is lacking; shelter homes are inadequate; and sterilized dogs released back continue to attack. These are the common complaints against ABC.
The country already had state and municipal laws, along with the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (PCA–1960), to control stray dogs. In 2001, these were amended, and the ABC rules and related programmes were implemented. But there are many practical hurdles in sterilization and vaccination. It is estimated that catching one dog, sterilizing it under a veterinary expert, giving it three days’ post-operative care and vaccination, and then releasing it costs about ₹2,100.
Humanity of animal lovers!
These are the same people who weep if animals suffer pain, but remain silent when those very animals maul or even kill human beings. Worse, they call that silence “compassion for fellow beings.”
Animals indeed deserve protection and affection. But to argue that they must be protected with priority over human beings has nothing to do with humanity. Let the streams of animal love overflow among animal lovers, but at the same time they must also have eyes to see and ears to hear the problems faced by human beings. Recently, when the issue of stray dogs in Delhi was taken up, the Supreme Court gave some instructions in precisely this spirit. Only a few days ago, the Court directed that all stray dogs be removed from densely populated areas of Delhi and placed in proper shelters. This strong intervention came in the context of the rising nuisance of rabid dogs, their frequent attacks, and the deaths caused.
Justice Pardiwala of the Supreme Court, while issuing the order, remarked: “This order is not for us but for the welfare of society. The Court will not entertain any kind of sentiments in this matter. Immediate action must be taken to address the stray dog problem.”
Because of limited public shelter facilities, the United States puts down about 2.7 million dogs and cats every year through mercy killing. In 2016 alone, 866,366 stray dogs were euthanized, according to records. The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights had also approached the Supreme Court demanding permission to capture and euthanize dangerous dogs.
True humanity lies not with the so-called animal lovers who, like Menaka and others, raise arguments about rats multiplying in Paris after stray dogs were culled centuries ago, merely to wear the crown of false animal compassion. Rather, humanity belongs to those who have the heart to feel the pain of little children who, on their way home from school, are mauled and left writhing in agony by dogs.
Sijo Painadath
