Stray dog that bit over 50 people in Kannur found dead

People admitted to the District Hospital in Kannur following dog bite on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: S.K. MOHAN

A stray dog that reportedly bit several people near the new bus stand in Kannur on Tuesday evening was found dead hours after the incident. Meanwhile, more than 50 people sought treatment at the Kannur district hospital for dog bite by evening.

The spate of attacks has sparked a blame-game between the Kannur district panchayat and the city Corporation over the issue of tackling stray dog menace.

“It is not the responsibility of the district panchayat to manage stray dogs. That falls under the jurisdiction of local bodies,” said district panchayat president K.K. Rathnakumari. “It is wrong on the part of local bodies to shift the blame to us after such incidents,” she added.

Countering that, Kannur Mayor Muslih Madathil accused the district panchayat of inaction. “Give us the power, and we will end this street dog nuisance,” he said.

“The district panchayat is in charge of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme. Like other local bodies, the Kannur Corporation has already released ₹20 lakh for this purpose. If the district panchayat president is now blaming us, the money should be returned to us,” he added.

However, Mr. Madathil noted that necessary steps had been taken to catch violent stray dogs. It is the responsibility of the district panchayat to implement the ABC programme. However, its failure to do so has resulted in an increase in stray dog population, he alleged.

Published - June 17, 2025 11:39 pm IST