Food crisis may aggravate stray threat

Kochi: With the city corporation deciding to stop dumping of biowaste at Brahmapuram waste yard soon, over 100 stray dogs – which feed on food waste there – will be forced to migrate to nearby areas for survival.
Chances are high that these stray dogs – including abandoned, sterilized, injured and disabled ones – may reach the nearby Infopark area, where people illegally dump biowaste in open spaces.As it is a busy road, presence of a large number of stray dogs will pose risk to both the public as well as the animals.
Corporation officials themselves acknowledged that the yard is home to more than 100 dogs.
“The dogs brought for sterilization under the ABC programme used to be abandoned at the yard. We have found that the dogs, which were aggressive earlier in other areas, have mellowed down when they become part of the packs and get ample food at the yard. Stray dogs deprived of food at the yard will become a huge issue,” said a corporation official. As there is no residential area around the yard, it has become the most-sought after destination for some people to abandon their dogs in the area.
While animal rights activists have demanded that the corporation should provide food for stray dogs at the yard when dumping of biowaste is stopped.
“Otherwise, it will become a human-stray dog conflict and encounter between the dogs for territory and accidents on the nearby road. This is detrimental for both motorists and dogs, considering their large population in the area,” said Ambili Purackal of DAYA animal welfare organization.
Meanwhile, she raised suspicion whether the corporation would be keen on providing food to stray dogs in the yard, considering the local body’s poor performance in waste management, ABC programme and animal welfare activities.
A senior corporation official admitted that they have not thought about the issue of food crisis for stray dogs at the yard.