Thiruvananthapuram city corporation will legally challenge a stop memo issued by Kuttichal grama panchayat against a private stray dog shelter housing between 125 and 200 dogs brought from the state capital, intensifying a dispute over permissions, animal welfare and the civic body’s dog-management programme.
The panchayat issued the notice after an inspection found that a large number of stray dogs were being kept at the facility without its permission. The operator has been directed to relocate the animals within seven days. Kuttichal panchayat president Radha Jayan said the facility had been established without the local body’s knowledge or approval and that the panchayat would approach the court if the dogs were not moved within the stipulated period.
The corporation has opposed any immediate release or abandonment of the animals. Dr Sreerag Jayan, the corporation’s chief veterinary surgeon, said the civic body would pursue legal remedies against the stop memo. “The dogs cannot be abandoned or released indiscriminately, and their welfare must be ensured while addressing the concerns raised by the panchayat,” he said.
The shelter has faced protests and complaints from local residents, who have questioned whether it has the required licence. Residents have also raised concerns about sanitation, the condition of the animals and the alleged release of dogs into nearby areas. Complaints submitted to People for Animals said that one dog released from the facility was later found to have rabies. Residents have also alleged that dogs released from the shelter attacked deer in the adjoining forest area. These allegations emerged during inquiries into the complaints submitted to the animal-welfare organisation.
Jayan alleged that the operator had initially secured clearances for a pet-breeding and bird-rearing facility but later began housing stray dogs. The panchayat has said it will also write to the forest department regarding the alleged attacks on deer. The source report does not state whether the allegations have been independently established or whether the forest department has completed an inquiry.
The dispute has brought renewed scrutiny to the corporation’s practice of capturing stray dogs from public spaces and relocating them to shelters outside city limits. People for Animals has questioned the legality of the programme and raised concerns about the welfare of dogs kept in confinement. The corporation has maintained that managing the stray-dog population requires suitable shelter facilities and that the animals cannot simply be released in unfamiliar locations.
The Kuttichal facility is not the corporation’s only reported shelter outside the city. The corporation also operates a stray dog shelter at Poovar. The immediate legal challenge will determine how the stop memo is contested, while the panchayat’s relocation deadline places the responsibility for the animals’ interim care at the centre of the dispute.
