KARUR: The rampant stray dog menace in the district, which allegedly claimed the lives of as many as 60 goats, sheep, and chickens in a single panchayat union alone in the past few weeks, has raised concerns among the public who now seek urgent action from the authorities to curb it.
Farmers and animal breeders in Paramathi panchayat union are an affected lot after stray dogs roaming in the area reportedly hunted down their poultry and livestock numbering over 60 in the past few weeks alone.
"With Paramathi being a bone dry region due to the presence of numerous stone and sand quarries, agriculture has started perishing, paving way for animal breeding," said Natarajan, an animal breeder from Kattu Munnur village of the panchayat union.
After suffering blows from the COVID-19 pandemic, we have just now stepped on the road to recovery. But the stray dog menace has affected our livelihoods a lot, he further said and demanded urgent official action.
Similarly, residents of Gandhigramam in the city also complain of stray dogs chasing children in the streets and demanded necessary action. When contacted, Karur City Municipal Corporation (KCMC) Commissioner Ravichandran said that the body has sterilised around 500 dogs in the past month alone.
"Collaborating with a Chennai-based NGO, we have been sterilising street dogs regularly. The Corporation is also planning to set up a stray dog sterilisation centre at the Vangal dump yard facility to carry out ABC (Animal Birth Control) and vaccination programmes," he said.
Dr Muralitharan, Assistant Director of Animal Husbandry Department in Kulithalai region and holding additional charge of Karur told The New Indian Express that they have also been carrying out sterilisation of male dogs. "The local body or panchayat board officials must hire a veterinarian who holds an M VSc degree to carry out the ABC and sterilisation programmes by setting up centres in their respective localities," he said.