An organisation working on animal protection issues around the world today welcomed the Kerala High Court's order to implement the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme in order to rein the street dog population in the state.
In its verdict, the court has said local bodies can exercise their power to capture, sterilise or destroy the stray dogs, provided it is done in accordance with legal provisions.
Hailing the verdict, N G Jayasimha, Managing Director of Humane Society International (HSI)/India said, "We are happy that the Kerala High Court reinstated the need for ABC program, something we have been advocating since the very first day the crisis of Kerala street dog culling made news."
"A successful sterilization program is the only solution for high street dog population and not killing. This will also help mitigate human-animal conflict and control rabies threat," Jayasimha said in a release.
It noted that in the past few months, the street dog issue in Kerala had spiraled out of control due to some individuals and anti-street dog groups who have been instigating the community to adopt illegal ways of controlling dog population.
The organisation said animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and animal welfare organizations such as People for Animals (PFA), HSI/India and others have been working with the support of Kerala State Government and law enforcement agencies in ensuring implementation of the ABC programme to curb the street dog population in the state.
