According to the official website of the Kerala Government, the dogs are being seized and destroyed in order to control rabies menace. Rabies is a major concern in India, but indiscriminate culls are ineffective and often involve extreme cruelty. They can even trigger rabies outbreaks by disrupting stable dog populations.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) experts do not support inhumane methods; instead, they strongly advocate mass vaccination and neutering of dogs for rabies control. Mass slaughter of dogs is also against the recommendations of the Alliance for Rabies Control and The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), which state that mass removal of dogs is ineffective in controlling rabies.

Citizens For Animals and WSPA member society Animal Rescue Kerala (ARK) have joined forces to draw international attention to this cruelty. For over two years, ARK has been trying to combat the cruel treatment of dogs by the authorities in Thiruvananthapuram Municipality, in the tourist hotspot of Kerala.

The WSPA has written a number of times to the Kerala authorities, but according to the ARK, the inhumane culling is continuing. There are humane and effective alternatives to mass culling and the WSPA is working in partnership with governments and member societies worldwide on humane dog population management. WSPA Asia has also appealed to the Animal Welfare Board of India to intervene.

According to leading animal welfare organizations like Humane Society International (HSI), WSPA and PETA, a variety of humane control methods can be used, but the animal's welfare must be the first priority. Experts lament that misguided animal control policies are common in much of India. Many municipalities lack an understanding of animal welfare and population control. With the proper information on humane alternatives and access to resources to administer these more compassionate options, officials can protect both animals and public health.

Pravin Shrivastava