Fri Mar 07 16:11:50 UTC 2025: ## Local Residents Protest Unlicensed Dog Shelter in Kerala
**Kunnathunad, Kerala –** Residents of Parakkode East ward in Kunnathunad panchayat staged a protest on Friday against a woman operating an unlicensed dog shelter in a rented house. The protest, led by local MLA P.V. Sreenijin, follows weeks of complaints regarding excessive barking and unsanitary conditions caused by the over 40 stray dogs housed at the property.
Authorities have issued a notice to the woman, a Pathanamthitta native, demanding documentation related to the shelter by March 21. The panchayat claims to have issued a stop memo a month ago, but the woman reportedly refused to comply. She maintains that she informed the house owner and that the agreement includes the sheltering of dogs. She also denies accusations of residents illegally entering her property.
Mr. Sreenijin alleges that the shelter is operating illegally under the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act, lacking the necessary license. Ward member Prasanna I.N. supports this claim, stating the shelter is in a densely populated residential area. The residents’ complaints center on the disruption caused by the dogs’ barking and the resulting unhygienic conditions. The situation remains tense, with residents demanding the relocation of the dogs to a more appropriate facility.
First Piper 