Local protests, Centre's guidelines cited as reason for delay in setting up ABC centers

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Government has cited local protests and revised guidelines from the Centre as reasons for the delay in establishing new Animal Birth Control (ABC) centers.

To tackle the stray dog menace in the state, the government announced the launch of new ABC centres across the state. Despite making announcements and identifying 24 locations, no new centres came up in these areas. 

To make matters worse, only one agency in Thiruvananthapuram holds licence from the Directorate of Animal Husbandry to sterilise the dogs. 

In addition to this, the guidelines issued by the government stipulate that doctors appointed at ABC centres should have experience in conducting at least 2000 ABC surgeries. Further, the centres should have various amenities, including cameras and air conditioning, and must follow steps for sheltering and vaccination of dogs.