Veterinary Officer assures pet burial grounds are free for use, promises immediate action
After receiving complaints that the staff at animal burial grounds have been charging exorbitant amounts from pet owners, Dr Kamal Hassan, the Veterinary Officer at the Chennai Corporation insisted that the use of the burial grounds is free for all.
By : migrator
Update: 2019-01-18 00:33 GMT
Chennai
“We do not charge a single penny for our burial grounds and it is shocking to hear that our staff were asking for a lot of money. I will look into it immediately and ensure that this is not repeated,” he said.
Rajeswaran S, a resident of Ekkaduthangal, faced a similar situation when his four-month-old puppy succumbed to canine distemper virus recently. New to the situation, he did some research online to identify cemeteries for pets where he could give his puppy a proper send off.
“I had contacted a burial ground in Saidapet where they said they usually charge Rs 2,500 for the burial. But, they would open only the next morning. Desperate, I got in touch with the Corporation burial ground in Kannampettai. I was shocked when I was told they charge Rs 4,500 and an extra amount for a tombstone,” Rajeswaran said.
He added, “Initially, I had no idea that service at burial grounds is supposed to be free, but even then, I was shocked to hear the amount they were demanding. It is a good thing that I contacted them before heading off directly.”
While the Chennai Corporation offers space to bury pets in Kannampettai, Mandaveli and Basin Bridge, all of which are supposed to be free for burial, staff persons working at these burial grounds tend to charge hefty amounts from the pet owners, owing to the lack of awareness on the fact that they are free.
Stating that this has been a long-standing problem, Animal Activist Vignesh P, said, “Activists have been fighting for the same for a number of years. Unless the burial grounds – both private and those under the Corporation – are monitored, they will continue to loot the pet owners.”
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