Nearly a month has passed since Rathish R was injured after being chased by a pack of stray dogs in the basement parking lot of an apartment block in Karapakkam, Chennai. He still shudders at the thought. Rathish underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder and is currently recuperating.
"It happened in the early hours of a Sunday morning during the Pongal season last month," Rathish recalls.
He told TNIE that he had gone to a movie with his daughter and returned home afterward. After dropping her off, he parked his car and was walking toward the lift, about 300 metres away, when a group of dogs began barking at him before chasing after him. He tried to run but fell and fractured his right shoulder. He also suffered multiple bruises. Despite the pain, he managed to get back on his feet, reach the lift, and make it home.
"I was carrying a water bottle that I intended to throw into the dustbin near the lift. I waved it in an attempt to shoo the animals away, but nothing worked," Rathish said.
The incident happened around 3 am. The dogs numbering around 7 were ferocious, he said.
Rathish spent around Rs 3.25 lakh on the surgery.
“I plan to take up the issue of stray dogs legally. I don’t want anyone else to go through what I went through,” he said.
"I have been through a lot of pain and, sleepless nights," he said. "My wife had to opt work from home and my daughter, who is doing final year engineering course, also had to be near me during this period of trauma," he noted.
"I'm a consultant and usually return home late at night. I take all necessary precautions, such as switching off the lights and not honking, yet the dogs still chased me," he said.
The Resident Welfare Association is least bothered. "I paid Rs 3 lakh + taxes for the basement parking. Still there is no safety," he pointed out.
He added that there have been several similar incidents in the apartment complex (Doshi Risington in Karapakkam), but repeated complaints have gone unheard.
For instance, seven-year-old Prarthana was frightened twice by stray dogs —first while playing in the internal park and later in the basement car park as she returned with her mother.
Ambili, her mother, recounted the incident: "With the dogs barking aggressively, I had to stand in their way to safeguard my baby. I was myself terrified. This happened at around 2:00 PM. We have reported these incidents to the Resident Welfare Association many times, but we are told the law does not allow removal of stray dogs inside apartment complexes."
The Resident Welfare Association reportedly informed residents that current rules restrict relocation of dogs in such private spaces, leaving residents feeling helpless and vulnerable.
"We're following Supreme Court guidelines. We cannot do things outrightly. We have to do it gradually and it would take time," said Regional Deputy Commissioner, South, Greater Chennai Corporation.
Pavan Kishore, secretary of Doshi Risington, confirmed that he has received complaints from one family about the stray dog menace. Police also visited the spot and inspected the area. After that feeding of dogs within the premises has been banned. Further, he added that "whatever possible can be done within our means is being done", he added.
Case in Supreme Court
The news of the incident comes more than eight months after the tragic death of six-year-old Chhavi Sharma in Delhi. Bitten by a stray dog and succumbing later to rabies, the Supreme Court of India reserved its verdict after taking suo moto notice of her "disturbing" death and the growing stray dog menace.
The court's intervention followed alarming news reports and rising incidents of dog bites and related deaths reported from across the country.
The case, initially taken up by a two-judge bench after reviewing media reports on stray dog attacks, was later heard by a three-judge bench. The Supreme Court has now reserved its final judgment, even as interim directions on how stray dogs should be managed continue to remain debated and implemented unevenly nationwide.
"We took suo moto cognisance of the alarming rise in stray dog bite incidents. Children and elders are falling prey," the top court had observed last year, terming reports of hundreds of bites and rabies cases "very disturbing and alarming".
However, despite the court’s attention to the issue, many people say nothing has changed on the ground. Across cities, families continue to grapple with fear and danger from roaming packs.
Similar complaints have emerged from other parts of Tamil Nadu and metropolitan cities, where residents and civic bodies struggle with inconsistent implementation of dog management measures.
Officials in some areas have acknowledged that while the Supreme Court's directions include relocation of "aggressive" stray dogs, such measures have not been fully put into action in many regions, including parts of Tamil Nadu. Civic officials cite shortages of shelters and infrastructure as obstacles to relocation and compliance.
Animal welfare activists have also raised concerns about the legality and humane aspects of blanket removal, pointing to India's Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, which mandate sterilisation and vaccination of stray dogs and typically prohibit permanent removal from their locality. This has added to the complexity of creating a unified national policy.
For families like Rathish' and Prarthana's, meanwhile, the fear remains real. Prarthana's mother pointed to the incident where 10 strays recently chased after a nine-year-old in Mumbai when she began running away from them.
"Young kids cannot be taught to stand their ground when they face such situations. So, we can't help but stay worried," she underlined.
With stray dogs continuing to pose a threat to children and residents in both public and private community spaces in this manner despite nationwide outrage and a top court hearing, urgent questions remain on how policy decisions translate into protection on the ground.