World · South & Central Asia · 9 hrs ago
Kochi Corporation to track dog-catching squad deployments
Kochi Corporation in Kerala plans to track where and when dog-catching squads work by appointing a health inspector to coordinate requests and keep a division-wise register.
The move follows complaints from councillors in West Kochi, who said their divisions received fewer visits than others.
Mayor V.K. Minimol said the Corporation will prepare a 15-day schedule for squad deployments, with changes allowed only in emergencies.
Councillors have also raised concerns about delays, including one in Palluruthy-Kacheripady where a squad arrived three days after a request following dog bites.
The Corporation said 94 dogs had been caught by October 30, while its ABC Centre can sterilise about 150 dogs a month.
The Mayor said the city could consider incentives for catching more dogs and hold special sterilisation camps, but ruled out mobile units because dogs need post-surgery observation.
Councillors also called for more cages, and the Mayor said the number of cages has already increased.
Kochi Corporation plans to appoint a health inspector to coordinate requests for dog-catching squads and track their deployments by division.
The move follows complaints from West Kochi councillors who said their divisions received the service less often than others.
Mayor V.K. Minimol said a 15-day advance deployment schedule would be prepared, with changes allowed only in emergencies.
The Corporation said 94 dogs had been captured by October 30, while its ABC Centre could sterilise around 150 dogs a month.
Councillors also raised concerns about delays, cage capacity and the limits of the Animal Birth Control programme.
- Who
- Kochi Corporation and its dog-catching squads. Councillors raised concerns about how the service is allocated.
- What
- The Corporation plans to appoint a health inspector to coordinate requests and keep a division-wise record of squad operations.
- When
- The plan follows a recent council meeting. The Corporation said 94 dogs had been captured by October 30.
- Where
- Kochi, including West Kochi divisions.
- Why
- Councillors alleged that some divisions received dog-catching services less frequently than others.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Councillors raised complaints about the allocation of dog-catching services while the dog-catcher contract was discussed.
A Corporation official said 94 dogs had been captured by that date.
The Corporation announced plans for a health inspector to coordinate deployment requests and maintain a division-wise register.
- Deployment schedule
- 15 days in advance
- Dogs captured
- 94 by October 30
- ABC Centre capacity
- Around 150 dogs a month
- Proposed record
- Date and time of each operation, by division
1 source
What people are saying
Despite repeated requests, the squad arrived only after three days,