The Kochi Corporation is exploring the possibility of deploying mobile Animal Birth Control (ABC) units, complete with veterinary surgeons and animal handlers (dog catchers), to ensure more effective management of the stray dog menace and balanced coverage across the city.

For long, councillors from West Kochi have complained of discrimination in the catching of stray dogs for sterilisation at the Corporation’s ABC Centre at Brahmapuram. This is despite the fact that the stray dog problem is perceived to be far more acute in many parts of West Kochi.

“That grievance is genuine. The dog catchers have been asked to maintain a balance between West Kochi and the rest of the city. As part of our efforts to increase the number of monthly surgeries at the ABC Centre from the current 100 to 150, they have been directed to maintain a ratio of 75:75 between West Kochi and the rest of the city. We are planning to place before the council a proposal for deploying mobile units as an expansion of ABC activities,” said Mayor V.K. Minimol.

V.A. Sreejith, LDF parliamentary party leader, alleged that visits by animal handlers to West Kochi were far too infrequent. “In fact, the ABC activities themselves are in limbo and need strengthening. The governing committee insists that the problems will be addressed once the dog shelter becomes operational. However, there has been little progress since the foundation stone for the shelter was laid back in March,” he said.

Complaints have also been mounting over the functioning of the four animal handlers currently engaged at the ABC Centre. Their frequent absence on leave often affects the rate at which stray dogs are captured for sterilisation surgery. Only around 99 stray dogs were caught in the previous month, a figure that falls short even of the existing monthly surgery capacity. Strict instructions have now been issued to ensure that at least 150 stray dogs are captured every month henceforth, Ms. Minimol said.

According to sources at the ABC Centre, not all of the 99 dogs caught during the month were meant for sterilisation surgery. It also included dogs captured following specific complaints of bites, as well as those taken in for observation owing to aggressive behaviour.

The advance approval granted by the Mayor for the recruitment of two additional veterinary surgeons, in line with a decision taken at a meeting of the Health Standing Committee to increase the surgery rate, will come up for ratification by the council this week. At present, the ABC Centre has two veterinary surgeons. With two more surgeons joining the facility, a shift system is proposed to be introduced.

Meanwhile, the Corporation’s repeated attempts to recruit more animal handlers have proved unsuccessful time and again.