Farmers continue to lose livestock to street dogs, mull intensification of protests

As street dogs continue to maul and kill livestock, farmers in Tiruppur-Erode districts say reviving vehement protests remains their only recourse, for securing compensation and bringing about control of the population of the marauding canines.

Enraged by what they described as “inadequate response” by the administrative machinery to the death of 15 livestock due to attack by wandering dogs in a farm near Sivanmalai in Kangayam block, farmers discussed holding of protests at the Collectorate with the carcasses of the livestock.

The Village Administrative Officer and the Animal Husbandry Department officials did not perform the tasks they were assigned in such an eventuality, farmers who converged at place of incident complained.

The farmers had decided to suspend their continuous protests for months after the State government announced relief for the farmers at the rate of Rs. 6000 for a sheep/goat and Rs. 200 for a poultry bird, that get killed by the dogs.

According to the farmers, the State as well as Central governments were responsible for their plight.

“The problem is with the Central Government’s Animal Birth Control Rules 2023. As per articles 243(W) and 246, local bodies are responsible for controlling the population of dogs. The issue warrants national-level intervention, but the responsibility has been shifted to State Government,” Mr. Velusamy, president of PAP Vellakoil Branch Water Conservation Association, said, adding:

“We will keep pressing the State and Central governments to arrive at a long-lasting solution.”

As per Article 246(3) of the Constitution of India, The Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, require local bodies to manage stray dog populations through sterilization and anti-rabies vaccination programs. Rule 16(6) specifies that if a dog is not rabid but is sick or aggressive, it should be handed over to an Animal Welfare Organization for treatment and observation. After recovery, the dog must be returned to its original location as outlined in Rule 11(19). The rules emphasize that dogs can only be sheltered temporarily for treatment or observation, not for long-term care unless they are ill or aggressive.

An advisory was issued by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India on November 11, 2024, to Chief Secretaries of all States/UTs for effective implementation of the Animal Birth Control Program. The Animal Welfare Board of India has also published the revised Animal Birth Control (ABC) module for street dogs population management, rabies eradication and reducing man-dog conflict.

The farmers point out that the local bodies are not equipped to comply with Rule 10 of the ‘The Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023’, citing the lack of financial capability to have sufficient number of kennels, and veterinary hospital facility for implementation of the animal birth control programme.