Strays: Why TN isn’t in the doghouse

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Link: http://www.indianexpress.com/story/25501.html

 

Strays: Why TN isn't in the doghouse

 

Jaya Menon

Posted online: Tuesday, March 13, 2007 at 0000 hrs

 

Chennai, March 12: Much before the reports of culling of stray dogs in

Bangalore grabbed media headlines, the Tamil Nadu government passed an

order on January 18 this year, allotting Rs 5.8 crore for a massive

animal birth control (ABC) programme across the state, covering five

corporations and 50 municipalities. This is the first time that such a

sterilisation programme is being carried out outside Chennai. The

Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) played a significant role in

drafting the order that emanated from the Local Administration

Ministry, headed by M K Stalin, son of Chief Minister M Karunanidhi

and incidentally a dog lover himself.

 

Following the Bangalore incidents, there have been appeals from dog

lovers in Chennai for a humane approach to the animals and for

strengthening the birth control programme.

 

" While about 13,000 dogs used to be killed every year until 1996 in

Chennai, we now have the same number of dogs having undergone

sterilisation every year. Today, you don't see that many dogs roaming

the streets of Chennai, " said Dr V N Appaji Rao, vice-chairman of AWBI.

 

In two weeks time, Tamil Nadu's corporations and municipalities will

swing into action, targeting nearly 13,000 stray dogs for the ABC

programme that has been estimated to cost Rs 445 per dog. All

corporation and municipal commissioners have been instructed to

identify and keep rooms to conduct surgery for the post-operative

care. The AWBI will eventually reimburse the expenses taken on by the

Chennai Corporation for the

 

programme. About 500 unemployed veterinarians would be trained in the

sterilisation programme and

 

used for the state-wide

 

ABC project.

 

" It takes about five to 10 minutes for a castration surgery for a dog

and 15 to 20 minutes for an ovario hysterectomy for a female dog. The

male dogs can be taken away the same day. But for a female, we suggest

48 hours of stay in the clinic, "

 

said Rao.

 

In Chennai, animal lovers refer to stray dogs endearingly as

`community' dogs. But this was not the case even 10 years back. Until

1996, the corporation, armed with Section 218 of the Madras City

Municipal Corporation Act of 1919, went about killing dogs that did

not have a licence tag. " The public anger against this was so much

that even today we have people throwing stones when they see the

corporation dog van, " said Rao.

 

The Madras Corporation, at 300 years one of the oldest, started its

catch-and-kill programme way back in 1860. Dogs against which

complaints were received were shot on the street.