Local Government Minister MB Rajesh on Friday expressed concern over the practicality of rehabilitating stray dogs in the state following the Supreme Court’s directive on the issue.
Rajesh, who spoke to reporters here, said that he has not yet received a copy of the court order and came to know about it only through media reports. From what he understood of the court’s verdict, the emphasis was on effective implementation of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) program, including the sterilization and vaccination of stray dogs.
“From the information available to me, Kerala’s affidavit has been accepted. In it, we have detailed the steps taken so far and the challenges we face in implementing the ABC programme,” he said.
Mr. Rajesh said he was not aware of any new Supreme Court directive except what was reported in the media. When asked about the removal of stray dogs from public spaces, the minister said that such a procedure is impractical.
“Our experience shows that removing street dogs from public places does not work. Where can we rehabilitate them? Kerala has a very high population density and there is almost no difference between urban and rural areas. We are struggling to find land for people – how can we find space to build dog shelters,” he asked.
He also pointed out that there were local protests when ABC centers and animal shelters were set up earlier. “In the case of Kerala, there should be more practical guidelines,” he added. Mr. Rajesh said that according to the media reports he had seen, there was no new direction from the court and that the existing matters were merely reiterated.
Published – 07 Nov 2025 23:31 IST
