Are stray dogs in Kerala a threat or just victims of a broken system?

Every day, I have to walk past a group of eight stray dogs whom I fondly call ‘Sandipatti’ (yes, all eight of them have the same name!) whenever I step out of my house, whether it’s to go to the office or anywhere else. Although we see each other every day and have grown familiar in presence, we are always nervous around each other. It’s not because they’ve ever attacked me or anyone around me (yet), but with the rising number of dog bite stories I hear, instead of feeling reassured by their familiarity, I find myself always terrified around every 'Sandipatti', thinking What if today they decide to attack me?

This is not me; it’s the reality for many people living in my area.

True, not all stray dogs are scary or dangerous. For months, there was one dog who would wait for me every evening when I returned from work. He would even help me cross the road. As someone who’s scared of animals (all animals, really), I never tried to pet or feed him, for obvious reasons, but he continued to wait for me anyway, without expecting anything in return. He was a kind dog. But even after countless such encounters, I remained nervous around him.

Recently, almost every day, headlines scream about a new dog attack, often involving children, elderly citizens, or delivery workers in neighbourhoods. Because of this, for many people in Kerala, the once-neutral presence of stray dogs has now become a serious concern. In residential areas such incidents have spiked, causing fear and frustration. And yet, the real question, the one always swept under the rug, remains unanswered: Should stray dogs be removed from our streets, or does that go against the principles of compassion and coexistence?

In many Indian cities, strays have coexisted with people for generations. They are territorial and, in some cases, help deter intruders, including snakes or potential criminals.

From sterilisation drives to adoption initiatives, there are countless stories of stray dogs becoming loyal pets or even local mascots.

What are people saying?

One side of the debate includes animal rights groups, local feeders, and concerned citizens who argue that the issue isn’t as simple as it appears. They believe aggression in stray dogs is often a result of abuse, hunger, or territorial fear.

“I have had dogs all my life, and especially stray dogs have been my friends ever since I was a kid. I’m very sure that stray dogs never bite out of the blue. They bite only out of fear, hunger, pain, or if there’s a history of abuse they’ve had to go through. These animals survive in very harsh conditions and constantly have to manage on the streets without proper shelter, food, water, or kindness from people. Many people mistreat these animals, and that’s what makes them defensive. They’ll do anything to protect themselves and their territory, so whenever they feel threatened, they attack or growl,” said Ann George, a content writer from Ernakulam.

“As far as I know, animals always show a sign before doing anything. They might have gone through something. Instead of seeing stray dogs as dangerous, we need to recognise that they’re the victims of neglect, not villains. We need to be the voice of the voiceless. People can always speak and let others know if a dog bites or attacks them, but a dog cannot explain what it’s gone through. Always look at both sides of the story,” said Naveen, a dog feeder from Kochi.

Many fear that removing dogs could lead to inhumane culling, masked as “control”.

“If we remove dogs, more will fill the gap. We need better sterilisation and education, not fear-based action,” said Aryan, an animal welfare volunteer in Bengaluru.

Still, people also argue that sterilisation drives and feeding programmes haven’t been enough to curb the rising aggression among stray populations.

“Every year, a lot of money is spent on sterilisation and vaccination drives for stray dogs, but I don’t know where the money goes or where the efforts are being made. I never see any media coverage about feeding programmes or vaccinations being done. No education is provided in schools on how to treat animals. I’ve seen many children abusing animals. I remember seeing an adult hand a stick to a child and ask them to hit a dog. Whenever the news comes out, people only talk about how dogs are a menace. But when people abuse animals, nothing is done. Animal protection laws aren’t enforced properly,” said another animal lover.

“I’ve been bitten by strays on multiple occasions, even while cuddling them. It’s quite natural, sometimes they bite out of love or anxiety. I just got myself treated with anti-rabies injections. In this case, I feel the government should ramp up adoption drives for Indies so they can be taken in by families or shelters and given proper anti-rabies shots on time. That way, they won’t be infected with this deadly disease. This planet is as much theirs as it is ours. Let’s not get to a point where we feel the only option is to kill them to protect ourselves,” said Ahana, a content writer from Kozhikode.

Many communities have, in fact, managed peaceful coexistence by sterilising and caring for local dogs.

“We have six strays in our colony, all vaccinated and fed regularly. They don’t bother anyone,” said Saif, a resident from Pune.

A matter of public safety

On the other side are people who raise valid concerns about safety, hygiene, and overcrowding. Many believe that allowing strays to roam freely puts lives at risk.

Elderly people have been knocked down, bikers thrown off balance, and children bitten while playing. In some tragic cases, these attacks have even turned fatal. Parents are especially worried.

“My son was chased by a pack of dogs on his way to school. We were lucky this time,” said Rekha S, a resident of Kochi.

“I used to support feeding strays. But after my niece got chased on her cycle, I just want them gone,” said Rita, a college student from Thrissur.

“Strays can spread diseases like rabies and contribute to unsanitary conditions, especially near food stalls, hospitals, and schools. Sterilisation efforts often fall short, leaving cities overwhelmed by growing dog populations, especially during breeding seasons,” said a resident of Kozhikode.

Where is the system failing?

India’s guidelines around stray dogs, particularly the Animal Birth Control (ABC) rules, are meant to ensure humane management through sterilisation and vaccination. But in practice, implementation is patchy at best. Some cities don’t have the funds or infrastructure to run effective programmes. Others lack coordination between municipal bodies and animal welfare organisations.

“Public anger is understandable, especially when a child is bitten. But what we need is better enforcement, not emotional knee-jerk reactions,” said Ann George.

How to coexist with strays?

Urban planners, vets, and animal activists suggest that the answer may lie in stricter implementation of Animal Birth Control (ABC) programmes, better garbage management (to reduce food sources), and clearer policies that allow humane relocation in extreme cases.

“The scientific basis of dog population management is the Animal Birth Control programme. It’s mandatory under the ABC Rules, 2023, and it’s also the only method prescribed by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Now, every state trying to come up with creative methods to cut the dog population will only lead to chaos. Kerala has traditionally been opposed to any scientific method of dog population management. I’ve been trying since 2013 to get Kerala to create ABC centres like those in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. But the Kerala government has stubbornly refused to take steps in accordance with either law or logic,” stated Gauri Maulekhi, an animal welfare activist.

According to her, what’s needed is a middle ground where communities are supported to manage strays responsibly. Education on animal behaviour, strict penalties for cruelty, and regular sterilisation and vaccination drives are key.

“There has been vicious killing of dogs, which has only made the existing population even more nervous and scared of humans. So, the Kerala government should exercise some restraint in its treatment of dogs and learn from good examples set by Uttar Pradesh and other states where positive results have been seen.

“For instance, the law requires a State Animal Birth Control Monitoring Committee to be formed; Kerala has not done that. The law requires every district to have at least one ABC centre; those aren’t in place either. Where centres are allocated, they’re often insufficient. There’s either no operation theatre, or the ones that exist are run down.”

“When Kerala makes poor decisions, it’s the people who suffer. Today, it’s dogs biting people. Tomorrow, it could be rats or other scavengers running amok because we’ve disrupted the balance of the ecosystem,” she added.

Should we stop feeding these stray dogs?

“Why should people stop feeding anything? The law allows it. Our culture has always included feeding cows, dogs, birds and animals around us. That’s what compassion means. We’re in India; compassion and ahimsa are core to our identity. Sharing food with animals should never be seen as a problem. These harsh approaches, like hitting animals or chaining wild creatures, are completely against the values of Indian civilisation,” she explained.

“The people of Kerala should develop some tolerance. There should be more public awareness, and the state should adopt scientific methods. Unfortunately, successive governments have only made matters worse by encouraging complaints and creating disharmony in society. If they refrained from that, people would be able to live better lives, like in other states,” she added.

Why are stray dogs attacking people at all?

“Because people have attacked dogs so much that now the dogs think humans are the enemy. If a group of people constantly harassed or killed your own, wouldn’t you develop fear and lash out when threatened? In Delhi’s Connaught Place, dogs sleep peacefully on pavements. People leave out food and water. Even if passers-by jump over them, the dogs don’t even wake up. That’s because they feel safe around humans.”

In Kerala, stray dogs run at the sight of humans. They’ve been traumatised. They’re petrified. And when they feel cornered, they attack. That’s the monster we’ve created, and now it’s biting us back,” she said.

Can we find a middle path?

Making the remaining dog population friendly is the only way to reduce the number of attacks. Friendly dogs can be safely caught and sterilised, but not by butchering them in unskilled setups, but through proper surgical procedures in hospital-like environments.

“I had invited Kerala teams to see how ABC surgeries are done in other states, but they refused. They prefer operating in rundown shacks, simply to meet compliance and distribute funds. These surgeries are so poorly done that they’re practically slow killings. This entire approach needs a serious overhaul,” she warned.

“To fix things, there is a clear roadmap. Kerala must first adopt the ABC Rules, 2023, in totality. Send teams to other states to learn from success stories. This stubborn resistance is harming both people and animals.”

“Every time someone dies in a puram due to an elephant stampede, we don’t go around killing elephants, do we? That’s because elephants have political and religious value. Stray dogs, on the other hand, are nobody’s children.

You can’t bring down dog bite cases overnight. It requires sustained effort, creating awareness, stopping abuse, and building proper ABC centres. When ABC surgeries are done right, vaccinations are administered too, which is enough for the shorter lives street dogs live. Pet dogs live longer and need repeat shots; strays usually don’t.”

“Uttar Pradesh has made India’s largest ABC centre with an investment of ₹12 crore. It’s now becoming a training hub for other states. More than 80 percent of dogs in Lucknow are sterilised; you don’t see puppies or lactating mothers. Dogs don’t bite. There’s no aggressive pack behaviour. Why hasn’t Kerala, our most ‘educated’ state, been able to do that?” She asked.

She added, “Public participation is vital. You can’t outsource everything to the government. Stray dog management is a shared social responsibility. People need to be informed, not just reactive.”

“We must treat animals with kindness and make them feel safe in our society. As Mahatma Gandhi said, ‘The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.’ And in our country, animals aren’t treated well—so you can see where things are heading,” Ann said.