CHENNAI: For the masses that own pets but do not have the luxury of a backyard burial, your prayers just got an answer. In what will be a first for the city, the Blue Cross of India has announced an Animal Electric Crematorium project that is hoped to kick off by the end of the year.
The initiative that has been in discussion for many years finally received a boost a couple of months ago, when a grieving cat owner donated `50,000 to set the ball rolling. Sathya Radhakrishnan, joint secretary, Blue Cross, said, “We wanted to take on this project for many years. The number of pet owners who come to our shelter not knowing where to go when their dog or cat passes away is increasing with each passing year.” Other animal welfare organisations have also been frequently troubled when pet owners ask for burial space or cremation options for their dear departed — most of them have few answers to give, except to direct them to existing burial grounds.
And although the Corporation has given space for animals on two existing burial grounds, Moolakothalam in Basin Bridge and Mylapore, space is at a premium these days. Not to mention, the countless numbers of dead animals that go unaccounted for each year such as stray dogs and cattle. According to a census by the civic body in 2004, Chennai had 85,000 stray dogs on the streets.
The facility that is being planned will be constructed on the premises of the Blue Cross shelter at Vepery. It may just be large enough to fit deceased cattle as well. “That is something that would be ideal, but can’t be confirmed just yet. We are also working on getting the required permission from the government for this,” added Sathya.
For now, volunteers are focused on raising funds from as many donors as possible, and an online crowd-funding campaign will be set up to aid the cause.
The Cat that inspired a crematorium: Believe it or not, this crematorium in the works is all thanks to a senior cat. A beloved Whitie, who passed away at the distinguished age of 12 in June this year, had no place to be buried. Pet owners Chandrasekhar (68) and his wife were aghast as they lacked the stamina to make the trip from their Vettuvankeni home to Mylapore Corporation burial ground in Mylapore. “With over 16 cats and three dogs, that’s where we usually go. But this time we wanted a crematorium and couldn’t find one,” he recalled. Whitie’s frail body was eventually buried in a small spot behind their home, but not before this gent decided her death meant a reason to contribute to countless pet owners in the city in a similar predicament.
Chandrasekhar donated `50,000 to the Blue Cross of India to start a crematorium for animals in the city for pet owners facing space constraints.