Fishing hamlet protests another stray dog attack death in Kerala

 A 48-year-old fisherman, who was mauled by a pack of stray dogs in the coastal village of Pulluvila near Thiruvananthapuram, died on Monday morning, triggering protests in the area.

The incident comes amid reports of a steady rise in the number of stray dogs in the area and several reports of attacks by the animals.

The man, Joseclin, was at the beach on Sunday night to haul his fishing net when a pack of dogs chased and attacked him. He was shifted to the government medical college and hospital with severe injuries.

Residents of Pulluvila blocked traffic on the Thiruvananthapuram-Poovar road, complaining that the government did not take any action despite increasing attacks and the growing number of strays due to piling waste.

The local unit of the Congress party has called for a hartal in the area, while the neighbourhood church has vowed to demonstrate on the road with the body of the deceased.

In August, 64-year-old Siluvamma was mauled to death by stray dogs in Pulluvila. The dogs had bitten off parts of the woman’s arms and legs, leaving the residents in shock and anger. Locals say raw meat and food waste dumped in the area has resulted in the alarming increase of canine population. Since August, stray dog attacks have left hundreds injured and the government has not seemed to have handled the issue effectively despite announcing fresh Animal Birth Control drives.

A Supreme Court appointed panel noted in August that over one lakh people were stray dogs in the state during 2015-16.  The attacks had triggered protests in the past and led to culling of the animals.