Location: Ernakulam, Kerala
Date: 30 March 2018 to 7 April 2018
Nature of Issue: Public signature campaign to make Kerala stray-dog free
FIAPO's action: Worked with education, police and municipal authorities to ensure implementation of ABC, ARV, and education in schools along with police action in the case of potential illegal killings, displacement of injury to dogs.
Response of the government: The government has given us the following:
- Support for an education programme that will start in July
- Strict action against cases that hurt dogs, especially when we bring them to their notice
A Brief Insight into the Case
In April, FIAPO was alerted of the possibility of the Stray Dog Free Movement surfacing again after 2015, in Ernakulam, Kerala. We had heard that Jose Maveli, who was earlier hauled up by the Supreme Court for the mass killing of dogs, was supposedly going to schools and colleges around Cochin, to organise a public signature campaign against street dogs.
To ensure that this did not lead to the mass killing of street dogs in Kerala again, FIAPO worked with the District Police Chief, District Collector as well as the Deputy Director, Education of Ernakulam district. The purpose of this was to ensure that potential killings were stemmed, and that law and order was maintained. We also wished to obtain government support for school education programmes on dog-bite and rabies prevention - to create a generation of students who are equipped to harmoniously live with street dogs. The District Police Chief assured us of his full support, to take strict legal action against perpetrators in a potential situation of killing, and we can personally bring cases that come to our attention to the Ernakulam police. The Education Deputy Director assured us that the government would back an education programme that would better inform the public on appropriate behaviour around dogs, post-bite care and rabies prevention. This education programme will resume in July when schools re-open from summer vacation.
Read the letter sent to Director of Education, Ernakulam here.
Read the letter sent to District Police Chief, Ernakulam here.
