GCC not acting tough, says braveheart who saved kids from feral dog

CHENNAI: Even as he is waiting anxiously for the test result from Madras Veterinary College Hospital on whether the feral dog that bit him and 28 others in Old Washermenpet two days ago had rabies, the 49-year-old man who jumped in to rescue the children and others said the Greater Chennai Corporation should act stringently against the stray dog menace.

Among those who were bitten by the dog that turned aggressive, the worst affected was M Mansoor Ali, staff at a nearby shop who sustained deep bite injuries after being mauled during his attempt to save school students from the dog. He was discharged from the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital on Wednesday night.

The dog went on a biting spree during the peak hour when the area was congested, he recalled. “Five children were bitten in front of my eyes; they also suffered nail scratches,” he said. “Most of these dogs are not vaccinated, nor are they sterilised to control the stray population. The Corporation often ignores stray dogs citing animal welfare rules, which leads to such incidents,” said Mansoor.

Echoing him, Old Washermenpet residents and activists said the civic body should adopt a systematic approach to address stray dog menace in city. It should at least ensure that there were no stray dogs near school zone, markets and places of worship, they added.

Admitting that stray dogs have become an issue, a senior official said the corporation has identified zones where their population is high, like near the Madras Veterinary College Hospital campus in Vepery and the Madras High Court where more than 200 stray dogs roam. “We carried out sterilisation, but their numbers continue to rise in these localities due to feeding of stray dogs and availability of waste as food,” the official explained.

When contacted, a senior official from Royapuram (zone 5) said more than 40 stray dogs were caught in Old Washermenpet and Royapuram in the last two days and kept under observation.