CHENNAI: An animal welfare activist on Wednesday moved the Madras high court seeking to direct the MK Stalin government to take steps to protect the stray animals in the state and provide them food and water during the lockdown.
According to VE Shiva, the founder of Mothers of Animals Welfare Trust, stray animals are among the worst-affected due to the pandemic due to lack of food and water. The petitioner stated that disturbing scenes of stray dogs fighting in the streets for the available little food have become a common sight, he said.
“Stray dogs and other animals are largely dependent on garbage, leftover foods from restaurants, canteens, market places, and other eateries all of which have been shut down in the wake of complete lockdown since May 10,” the petitioner said.
Claiming that such stray animals are dying every day without food which may lead to another epidemic, the petitioner said, it has become a challenge to the municipal authorities to dispose of the carcass of such dead animals.
This apart, due to lack of food, stray dogs have become aggressive against humans and hence it is necessary to ensure an adequate supply of food and water to such animals by taking immediate steps, he added.
On Wednesday when the plea came before a division bench of Justices Anitha Sumanth and Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy directed the counsel of the petitioner to provide suggestions in order to address the issue.
The bench transferred the plea to the first bench of the high court and ordered notice to the state government.