Kerala body denies decision on exporting dog meat

The Kerala Grama Panchayath Association on Thursday denied media reports that its recent general body meeting decided to cull stray dogs and export their meat to northeast India and to other countries.

The association represents 978 panchayats (village councils) in the state.

Speaking to IANS, P.T. Mathew, the president of the association, said the media reports that came out were totally baseless and unfounded.

"The meeting (on August 4) passed no resolution to cull stray dogs and export their meat to countries like The Philippines, China or to north-east states in our country," said Mathew.

He also denied that the Ernakulam District Grama Panchayath Presidents' Association earlier passed a similar resolution.

For the past few months, the stray dog menace was a hugely debated issue both inside and outside the Kerala assembly, forcing Chief Minister Oommen Chandy to call a meeting of various departments and four of his cabinet colleagues.

"The decision that was arrived at that meeting is what is being followed and we are right now implementing the decisions, which include accepted norms like animal birth control measures and sterilisation of dogs at special camps," added Mathew.

More than a lakh of people have been bitten by stray dogs in the state last year.