COIMBATORE: A two-year-old horse roaming was knocked down by a vehicle near the ITI campus in GN Mills on Monday morning and was left unattended for hours before Dr V Valliappan, President and veterinary surgeon of NGO Prani Mithran and Pradeep Prabakaran, honorary animal welfare officer, Animal Welfare Board of India rescued the horse for treatments.
According to sources, locals had informed Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) but no one responded quickly.
Activists and animal lovers say the civic body does not have the resources to contain the population of stray animals, which pose a threat to motorists. They further alleged that 1962, the toll free number to seek animal mobile ambulance and veterinary services, is dormant.
Apart from stray dogs, the number of cows, horses, donkeys and buffaloes roaming city roads have increased. Around 120 dog bite cases are reported in the city every month, said sources. "The Corporation only gives land but does not allot funds to carry out any kind of welfare assistance to stray animals," said Balakrishnan, an activist who provided first aid to the injured horse.
“There are several NGOs who carry out Animal Birth Control (ABC) programmes on strays. Although the CCMC has provided land to treat and sterilize stray dogs, they don't provide us funds. While stray dogs, cats and pigs are treated regularly at these centres, there is not even a single facility in the city to treat big animals like cows and horses. Also, CCMC does not take action against individuals who let these animals loose on the road," he added.
Pradeep Prabakaran told The New Indian Express, "We rescued the horse with help of CCMC officials and Thudiyalur police personnel and took it to a private institution in Milekal. The horse suffered injuries in the right hind leg thigh and stomach."
CCMC Commissioner M Prathap said, "We have facilities to treat small animals like dogs but don’t have an ambulance or other facilities to treat big animals like horses. We shall take up this matter with collector, check out the system followed in other cities and try to come up with a plan for animal welfare in Coimbatore."