Kochi Corporation to set up shelters for 1,000 stray dogs at Brahmapuram

The Kochi Corporation is planning to establish shelters for stray dogs alongside its Animal Birth Control (ABC) centre at Brahmapuram, in compliance with the recent Supreme Court verdict.

While the proposal envisions a facility spread across five acres in the long term, a scaled-down version will initially be launched on one or two acres. A delegation led by health standing committee chairperson Seena Gokulan visited the proposed site on Monday.

“Initially, we plan to set up shelters with capacity to accommodate around 1,000 stray dogs, which may require a couple of acres. However, this will necessitate changes to the Brahmapuram master plan and suspension of work on a shed adjoining the black soldier fly [BSF] units for waste treatment. With the commissioning of the 150-tonne compressed biogas plant shortly, there is no further need to expand the BSF units,” said Ms. Gokulan.

Even a limited facility to house 1,000 stray dogs entails considerable investment, including the appointment of nearly 30 staff members, among them veterinarians. Considering the average lifespan of a dog, strays may need to be sheltered for approximately 12 years. The estimated investment for the project is yet to be finalised.

The Corporation’s engineering wing on Tuesday held an initial meeting with officials of the Kerala Solid Waste Management Project (KSWMP), which prepared the Brahmapuram master plan, to identify land to be allotted for the proposed shelters. Further discussions will be held with KSWMP officials in the presence of standing committee members led by the chairperson. The Corporation’s health officer was also expected to attend the meeting but stayed away after receiving a transfer order.

On November 7, 2025, the Supreme Court directed all States and Union Territories to “forthwith” remove stray dogs from the premises of educational institutions, hospitals, sports complexes, bus stands and depots, and railway stations and relocate them “to a designated shelter” after sterilisation and vaccination, in accordance with the ABC Rules, 2023, framed under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

Expressing concern over the “disturbing increase” in dog-bite incidents across the country, the court ordered that stray canines picked up from such premises shall not be released back into the same locality. Previously, strays were released back into the same area after sterilisation and vaccination.