After Karnataka, stray dogs in Kerala are the focus of some unwanted attention. The state administration is on a stray dog killing spree in Thiruvananthapuram, and a British woman who had taken upon the responsibility of protecting them, was roughed up and jailed for her efforts.

“Had something like this happened to an Indian in my country it would have been called racial discrimination,” said 65-year old Avis Lyons, who sold off all her property in England and settled down in Thiruvananthapuram six years ago. Her mission was to take care of stray dogs and other animals. She started the NGO Animal Rescue, Kerala, which has sterilised more than 2,500 dogs since 2001.

In 2004, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation tied up with her NGO and 50 dogs in the city were sterilised under the arrangement. But then the partnership ended.

More than 2,200 dogs have been killed in Thiruvananthapuram alone since November last year. In February this year, when members of the NGO stopped municipality workers from taking away dogs for culling, they were charged with assault. “We have a memorandum of understanding with the panchayats in two villages of Kovalam where they came to take away the dogs. As per the agreement, our organisation sterilises and vaccinates stray dogs against rabies and in return, they do not kill dogs there. Amongst those hurled into the trucks we found two dogs which had been covered by us and there was no chance of them spreading rabies or multiplying. When we talked to the municipal workers, they refused to listen and instead threatened to get me deported,” said Lyons, who was here to campaign for the cause.

... contd.