This story is from July 28, 2016

Dogged pursuit shows results

Dogged pursuit shows results
Representative image
KOCHI: Kochi Corporation's Animal Birth Control Programme for Dogs (ABCD) is setting an example of how a scientific method could work wonders in controlling stray dogs and number of dog bites.
With the number of sterilized dogs in the city reaching 2,000, officials say the progress is reflecting in the fall in number of dog bites.
Of the 1,319 dog bite cases reported in the Corporation limits since May 2015, only 392 were caused by stray dogs.
The remaining 927 bites were caused by domesticated dogs.
A proper dog bite register (intradermal rabies vaccination (IDRV) register) at the Ernakulam General Hospital has also helped them track the project results.
Dr Kishore Kumar K J, principal investigator of Kochi Corporation's ABC program said about 76 per cent of the bites are from pets and not strays. "So we are working out a programme to introduce licensing and micro-chipping of the pets so that even if they are abandoned by the owner, tracing the ownership and penalising them is possible," he said.
"Sterilized dogs are released back to the same area where they were caught. So there won't be any new intruders in the place. The animals are also administered ARV (Anti-rabies vaccination).

The bites are classified into Class I, II and III in the order of ferocity. Doctors say that only one of every three dog bites are caused by stray dogs. "People tend to be more at ease around domesticated dogs as they presume them to be friendlier, but the numbers tell a different story. Strays only attack when they are threatened. We hope that ABC programme will cause a reduction in stray dog bite cases," said Ernakulam district medical officer Dr M K Kuttappan.
In Kochi out of 2,000 sterilized dogs only two were found to be rabid. "They were isolated and after they died, we buried them. A rabid dog will only survive for four days if it contracts the disease," Dr Kishore said.
Sally Kannan of the animal rights NGO Humane Society International said people rush to hospitals the moment they even get a lick or a scratch from the dog. "It's good that they do that. This happens even when they keep puppies for their kids. Similarly, they abandon them with equal ease which we often rescue from the street."
She said that after Kochi, Palakkad is readying for a similar scientific ABC programme. The district would be declared as dog-friendly on August 5. "We are training the dog-killers to become humane dog catchers. They say that they used to kill the easiest catchable dogs which come wagging their tails."
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About the Author
Sudha Nambudiri

Sudha Nambudiri reports from the southern state of Kerala. She writes on climate change, science and technology, social issues, and culture.

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