CHENNAI: Tension erupted again at the Madras High Court, the second time in a month, on the day of Pongal when the Greater Chennai Corporation staff removed at least 22 stray dogs from the court premises. Questioning the action, animal activists gathered at the spot in protest, claiming all the dogs that were removed were already sterilised.
The dog catchers, including some allegedly untrained staff, started removing the strays around 5 pm on Thursday. The activists followed the vehicles in which the dogs were being taken to the GCC’s animal birth control centre in Pulianthope and prevented the staff from shifting the dogs into the facility. A confrontation erupted and the police had to intervene to disperse the protesters, resulting in injuries to a few activists.
The police also arrested animal activist Lionel Praveen and allegedly beat him up before releasing him following protest from the activists.
Speaking to TNIE, GCC veterinary officer J Kamal Hussain said the action was taken based on a complaint from the court’s building and security committee, seeking the removal of strays from CISF-covered areas on the court premises. So far, 43 dogs have been removed from the premises since December 31. Further, 10 to 15 more dogs are to be removed from here, he said, adding both sterlised and non-sterlised dogs were caught. Animal activists had adopted all 21 dogs that were caught on December 31, the official said, adding the dogs caught on Thursday have been accommodated at the Pulianthope ABC centre, where the old portion of the building has been refurbished into a shelter with the capacity to house at least 80 dogs.
While the GCC has invited animal welfare NGOs to come forward to permanently house the dogs being caught from public places since December 19, in compliance with Supreme Court orders, the official said so far, no NGO has expressed willingness to do so. Until then, the dogs will remain at the refurbished shelter in Pulianthope, he said. Meanwhile, one of the animal activists wrote to Tamil Nadu Animal Welfare Board urging them to intervene in the matter of “illegal catching of dogs” from the court premises.