Stray dogs force residents to stay indoors

KOCHI: The innumerable stray dogs in West Kochi are making lives of the residents intolerable. Everyone from school children to churchgoers in the area are now scared to wander in the area, especially after dark, fearing dog attack. “It has been some time since the stray dog menace has gone out of control. People cannot walk on the streets without the risk of getting a dog bite. A couple of days ago, a corporation worker was seriously injured when he was attacked by a pack of stray dogs,” said Karmily Antony, Councillor (Edakochi North). “Since, the law prohibits killing these animals and there are practical difficulties in neutering so many animals, the problem continues to be unaddressed,” she said.Residents claim that the animals not only attack humans but also harm their livestock. Reports state that the dogs had mauled a calf and some goats to death in the past few months. “Almost eight people have been attacked within a month. People are afraid to even go to church in the morning hours,” said Karmily. Councillor (Thoppumpady) Celine Peter said that the dogs sleep underneath parked vehicles at night and bite passers-by in the morning. “The condition is so bad that people have stopped taking morning walks in the area. A few days back, a goat died because of a dog bite. Since then, people have been fearing that these dogs could be infected with diseases,” she added.Corporation officials said that the local body is helpless as there is a dearth of dog catchers. Health Standing Committee chairman T K Ashraf said that problems occur even when dog catchers are available. “Once the stray dogs are caught and neutered, they need to be set free in the same area from where they were caught. That is when the Corporation faces the wrath of the residents as they oppose to the dogs being set free in their area,” he added.The Corporation had proposed to set up an animal birth control unit over a year back. The proposal was approved by the council and Rs 5.5 lakh was set apart to fund the project. However, the project was shelved after residents of Chullikkal in Mattancherry, which was identified for the facility, protested against it.