Stray dogs attack poultry farm, kill several birds in Kerala’s Kasaragod

Safwan at his poultry farm in Kasaragod following the attack by stray dogs on Friday | Photo Credit: special arrangement

A pack of stray dogs wreaked havoc at a poultry farm at Madhur, Patla Chennikudal, Kasaragod, Kerala early on Friday (June 20, 2025), killing around 50 chickens and ducks and causing extensive damage to a small-scale rural entrepreneur’s livelihood.

The attack, which took place around 5.30 a.m. happened at the poultry unit run by Safwan from Madhu Kalakatta. Among the birds killed were six roosters with high reproductive value, each worth nearly ₹5,000.

Neighbours, alerted by the noise, rushed to the spot and managed to drive the dogs away using sticks, rescuing the remaining birds.

Safwan, who turned to poultry farming after a life-altering accident a few years ago, said the damage sustained is estimated to exceed ₹50,000. “I had fed the birds and closed the farm the previous evening,” he said.

Once an electrician, Safwan was severely injured while handling a cutter machine during a power outage. The recovery, which cost him around ₹25 lakh, left him unable to continue his previous profession. He then started the poultry farm to support his family and was in the process of expanding it into a hatchery with government assistance.

Local residents too voiced concerns over the increasing number of stray dog attacks in the region, calling for effective intervention from the government.

Published - June 20, 2025 12:31 pm IST