Why should animal sterilisation facility not be shut: Kerala HC asks Corp

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Disturbed by the findings of the amicus curiae, the Kerala High Court has asked the Thiruvananthapuram corporation why the Animal Birth Control (ABC) centre in Vandithadam, Thiruvallam, should not be shut down. The court opined the facility be shut until it is renovated. 

A Division Bench -- comprising Justice A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Gopinath P -- made the observation based on a report submitted by amicus curiae, advocate Suresh Menon, reiterating a lack of facilities for the proper functioning of the ABC facility. With the corporation seeking two days’ time to respond, the case has been posted to Tuesday. 

The highly critical report noted that the facility was ill-equipped and inadequate for the functioning of the ABC programme. Submitting that the “authorities are unconcerned and show least compassion”, the amicus curiae said there is gross violation of Section 3 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
The report was substantiated by a set of evidence including photographs that depict the harsh conditions of the cages, which were cramped with animals. 

“It is extremely unfortunate to note that the centre is totally ill-equipped to perform the task that a centre is expected to. This is in spite of the fact that there is more than adequate land available with the corporation which has not been utilised in any manner to meet even the basic needs of the centre. The first thing that comes to the notice of any person who visits the centre is the inhuman and harsh conditions under which the dogs are caged therein,” the amicus curiae said in the report.

Advocate Suresh Menon has pointed out how the cages are inappropriate. “Dogs are unable to even stand up in the cages because their feet fall through the mesh and they have to balance themselves from falling through the wide gaps on the floor,” his report said. Serious injuries are sustained due to the cage itself, he noted.

The report also points fingers at how the record books maintained in the facility do not tally with the data shared by the doctor, Sreerag, at the facility. Based on the records in the book, the amicus curiae also noted that there are cases when dogs brought to the centre are kept for ten days, which would mean dogs being kept for 15 days in all, thereby leading to overcrowding in the cages. 

“After 10 days of boarding in the harsh conditions at the centre, these dogs are totally demoralised, sick and too weak to undergo any surgery, as a result of which most of them succumb,” he noted. He also pointed out that dogs that end up dying at the facility are buried without postmortem. It is also pointed out that there are no isolation space for sick dogs and the operation theatre was hardly sufficient to meet the requirements.