S. Babu, 63, a retired artisan, has been feeding homeless dogs in his neighbourhood since 2011. He says these are dog days for strays everywhere.
Street dogs are among the many nameless casualties of the COVID-19 lockdown. They are facing starvation.
No leftovers
The ubiquitous piles of food leftovers from hotels and homes have mostly disappeared off the streets.
Public taps are few and far between. Natural water sources are drying up as the summer approaches its zenith.
Mr. Babu says leftovers from meat stalls are at a premium due to the lockdown. He is at the local market at 5 a.m. to scrounge up some scraps from the butchers.
As the lockdown progresses, Babu says he is finding it difficult to find rice and LPG refills to cook for the dogs.
“It is painful. The dogs keep a keen ear out for the sound of my bike. I cannot disappoint them,” he says.
Feeder passes
Latha Indira, secretary of the People For Animals (PFA), Thiruvananthapuram chapter, says she has moved the government to give “feeder passes” to persons like Babu.
Ms. Latha hopes Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s appeal on Friday to take care of strays would prompt authorities to exempt them from the lockdown. She said at least 50 persons have volunteered to provide for street dogs.
Ms. Indira says a 2013 Municipal census had pegged the number of wandering dogs in Thiruvananthapuram at a little over 12,000. Scarcity of water is also a significant issue.
The PFA hopes to put water pots for strays across the city, and its volunteers will throw food packets to dogs from their vehicles.
I.P. Binu, a municipal councillor, says he is in liaison with the Corporation and residents’ association to ensure street dogs are fed.
