Residents unhappy with Chennai Corporation’s efforts in curbing stray dog menace
Though the civic body has promised action against pet owners and assured to take a census on stray dog population, members of many resident welfare associations (RWAs) are upset with the city Corporation and adjacent local bodies for not doing enough.
File photo of stray dogs fighting in the city
CHENNAI: Incidences of children being mauled by stray dogs continue to make headlines, creating fear among parents for their children’s safety. Though the civic body has promised action against pet owners and assured to take a census on stray dog population, members of many resident welfare associations (RWAs) are upset with the city Corporation and adjacent local bodies for not doing enough.
“Stray dog menace has been a perennial issue in the city. Denizens want them to be monitored and controlled. Measures taken by the Greater Chennai Corporation and Tambaram Corporation are not doing enough,” said Sandhya Vedullapalli, a member of the Federation of Anna Nagar Residents Associations. “Many Corporation officials have spoken about the new measures, but no visible action has been taken till now.”
Concurring with her was Dayanand Krishnan, a social activist, who added that abandoning pet dogs was common. “Blue Cross or other animal welfare organisations do not respond. The animal birth control (ABC) system is a failure as every area seems to be getting new puppies. Officials must take a dog census and ensure that ferocious dogs are not left out in streets,” he averred.
Dayanand urged the Corporation to sterilise stray dogs to decrease their count in the city, and also vaccinate them. “There are many people whose fear of canines is real. So, it’s necessary to educate the public about dogs, and also provide training in handling them. Either the Blue Cross or TN government should take initiative,” opined Swathi Ramanan, VP, Kasturba Nagar RWA, Adyar.
Construction sites are a breeding ground for canines. “They must be prevented from entering such sites. The GCC and the veterinary department should work together on this,” said P Viswanathan, Chitlapakkam RWA.
When contacted, a senior GCC official said, “Three existing ABC centres will be renovated, and two new clinics will be opened in Chennai. Following the rules of the Animal Welfare Board of India, stray dogs will be brought back to the same place where they were taken after the ABC procedure.”
Regarding the survey on the stray dog population to be conducted 3 times in each ward, a former Corporation official said: “Earlier, the Corporation would cull dogs if they had feral infections, as they carry vector-borne diseases. This is not done anymore.”
