Good Practices in Rehabilitation of Unconfined Dogs: A Case Study of Key NGOs in Kerala A dissertation submitted to the University of Kerala, in partial fulfillment of requirements for the Masters of Social Work Degree Examination Submitted by Candidate Code: 91518115006 Exam Code: 91518301 Subject Code: SW 2.4.5 LOYOLA COLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES SREEKARIYAM P.O THIRUVANANTHAPURAM – 695017 UNIVERSITY OF KERALA 2018-2020 1 DECLARATION I, Ashwini Prasad, do hereby declare that the dissertation entitled Good Practices in Rehabilitation of Unconfined Dogs: A Case Study of Key NGOs in Kerala is based on the original work carried out by me and submitted to the University of Kerala during the year 2018- 2020 towards the partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Social Work Degree Examination. It has not been submitted for the award of any degree, diploma, fellowship or other similar title of recognition before. Sreekariyam Ms. Ashwini Prasad Thiruvananthapuram 10/08/2020 2 CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL This is to certify that the work embodied in this dissertation entitled “Good Practices in Rehabilitation of Unconfined Dogs: A Case Study of Key NGOs in Kerala” has been carried out by Ashwini Prasad, of Semester-IV of Masters of Social Work under my supervision and guidance that is hereby approved for submission. Dr. Sonny Jose Staff Guide Department of Social Work Loyola College of Social Sciences Recommended for forwarding to University of Kerala Dr. Sonny Jose Head of the Department of Social Work Loyola College of Social Sciences Recommended for forwarding to the University of Kerala Dr. Saji P Jacob Thiruvananthapuram Principal Thiruvananthapuram Loyola College of Social Sciences Date: 03-08-2020 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I am indebted and grateful to my respected guide Dr. Sonny Jose, Head of the Department of Social Work, Loyola College of Social Sciences for his invaluable guidance, constant encouragement, kind heart and stimulating discussions during the course of this research work. I also wish to express my sincere thanks to all other faculty members of the department, who facilitated in initiating this work and for the help and useful discussions they served me with. Further I would like to thank my parents, friends, seniors as well as juniors for their constant support and faith laid on me. 4 ABSTRACT This research titled “Good Practices in the Rehabilitation of Unconfined Dogs: A Case Study of Key NGOs in Kerala”, attempts understand the various good practices in rehabilitation activities undertaken by some of the prominent non-governmental organizations, operating in the domain of animal welfare in the state of Kerala. This study being qualitative in nature adopts the multiple case study design in exploring and documenting the activities undertaken by animal rescue and rehabilitation centres - Oneness, Kochi; Humane Society International‟s Kerala Chapter, Save A Life, Trissur, Dhyan Foundation Animal Shelter, Kochi, Street Dog Watch, Trivandrum and People For Animals, Kollam. The key objective of this research is to gain an understanding of how these leading animal welfare organizations work proficiently and rationally to serve the environment of Kerala in such a way that it eliminates or lessen the burgeoning menace of human-animal conflicts. For the same, the researcher used a semi-structured interview guide with which she had an interaction with the key resource persons from all these organizations. Based on these discussions, this study concludes on the need of creating a society where a „sense of coexistence‟ for a harmonious social life becomes an exigency; and most importantly, to develop within the minds of the people in Kerala, the concept of companion animals, and to educate them so as not to treat stray animals as a menace or a total disruption to their smooth way to life. Key-words: Rehabilitation, unconfined dog/free ranging urban dogs, human-animal conflicts, good practises, co-existence 5 CONTENTS Declaration……………………………………………………………………………………... Certificate of Approval………………………………………………………………………… Acknowledgement……………………………………………………………………………… Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………… CHAPTERS 1. INTRODUCTION………………………………...……………………………………… 5 1.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………………… ……… 1.2 Background of the Study …………………………………………………………………... 1.3 Statement of the Problem ………………………………………………………..………… 1.4 Relevance and Significance………………………………………………………………… 1.5 Research Questions………………………………………………………………………… 2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE ………………………………………………………… 9 2.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………………… ……… 2.2 International Literature…………………………….………………………………………. 2.3 Indian Literature……………………………..………..…………………………………… . 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ………………………………………………………17 3.1 Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………... 6 3.2 Title of the Study…………………………………………………………………………... 3.3 Research Questions………………………………………………………………………… 3.4 Definition of Concepts……………………………………………………………………... 3.5 Research Design……………………………………………………………………………. 3.6 Pilot Study………………………………………………………………………………….. 3.7 Sampling Strategy………………………………………………………………………….. 3.8 Data Collection Method and Tool………………………………………………………….. 4. CASE STUDY PRESENTATION…………………………………………………….. 25 4.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………………… …….... 4.2 Case Presentations………………………………………………………………………... ... 5. ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION……………..……………………………………….. 41 5.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………………… ……… 5.2 Discussion……………….………………………………………………………… ………. 6. CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………………...52 6.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………………… ……… 6.2 Findings…………………………………………………………………………… ……….. 6.3 Suggestions…………... ……………………………………………………………………. 6.3 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………….. 7. BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………………………… 7 8. APPENDIX………………………………………………………………………………….. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction India has always been special of its peculiarities; similarly in the case of freely roaming animals on roads. Here, packs of strays lurk in public parks, guard alleyways, street corners and they keep howling nightly in neighbourhoods and villages. In fact, the people in India are used to the habit of carrying bamboo rods along with them to chase strays away; morning joggers and the bicyclists too fill their pockets with stones to pelt at the chaser strays. Neighbourhood and abandoned animals are the ones usually considered as strays, mostly being neglected. The most populated specie of unconfined animal in India is undoubtedly that of the dogs‟. There is the happening of this concept called „human-animal conflict‟ all over the world, in various contexts. Human-animal conflicts are quite common in India, but its reasons vary from place to place depending on the kind of interaction that animals and humans share while coexisting. It is widely acclaimed that human-animal conflict is a major issue in the area of conservation - in conserving the essential animality on earth, and also a huge obstacle to the livelihoods of people worldwide. Therefore, it‟s clearly seen that the emerging need of protecting such species, especially the stray animals, is demanding coexistence of mankind with those animal species that are being endangered. Today there are various strategies that prevail to manage the ever existing social concern regarding the inconvenience caused by stray dogs in India, and one of the considerable measures includes the introduction of more methodical Animal Welfare Organizations within the State. 1.2 Background of the Study The author of the book 'Rescued: What Second-Chance Dogs Teach Us about Living with Purpose, Loving with Abandon, and Finding Joy in the Little Things', Mr Peter Zheutlin says that, people are often very surprised when he tells them that the picture of dogs running on highways and so forth, is not just a third world problem, but something that exists right there in the US. The animal rights/welfare view is that dogs are parts of the community with ties to 8 local people, having different functions and they should not be seen as a threat but as a integral part of man‟s daily life. Just like the human species, they also deserve first aid and shelter when in distress, which is rather more vital than any Animal Birth Control (ABC) program in the long run. There are several community based animal birth control programs, locally based, which engage in various activities including free medical care, and inpatient facilities, which can result in a rabies-free, healthy dog population where human and animal interests are equally taken into account. Some of such NGOs and charity groups working in Kerala for the welfare of stray dogs have already been acclaimed noteworthy for their distinctive activities done in association with the missions of rescue and rehabilitation. 1.3 Statement of the Problem There are more than 200 million stray dogs worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The blame can in a way be put on the ever-increasing piles of garbage for such a drastic rise in strays taking place, and can be reiterated that unless the authorities work in tandem to keep the state clean at the ward, block, panchayat, and corporation levels, implementing the Animal Birth Control Programme in isolation will probably yield no lasting results. Perhaps due to this mismanagement of the animal welfare sector or so, for controlling the conflict between men and animals, there is rampant culling of and cruelty towards stray dogs happening in many places within Kerala. A 2001 law has forbidden the killing of dogs, and this ended up