COIMBATORE: As many as 29 goats held in a sheepfold in an agricultural field at Thottiyapatti in Kangeyam in Tiruppur district died after stray dogs attacked them on Thursday morning.
P Mohankumar rears around 70 goats in the village. On Wednesday evening, after grazing them, he locked the goats inside the pen. On Thursday morning, he found about 27 goats dead and six grievously injured from dog bites. Later, two goats succumbed to injuries.
Following the incident, members of farmers associations staged a protest with the carcasses near Kangeyam bus stand, demanding measures to control stray dog menace and compensation for dead goats. Officials from revenue, police and the municipality tried to hold negotiations with them.
More than 200 farmers from various villages participated in the protest. They claimed that stray dog menace is rising and goats are getting killed often at Kangeyam taluk. G Kaniraj, the municipality commissioner said stray dog menace will be controlled once the Animal Birth Control Centre (ABC) comes into operation.
“Construction of the ABC centre is under way and it will be completed in 15 days. Once it comes into operation, ABC surgery and anti- rabies vaccination will be taken up. Meanwhile, if the municipality finds any temporary place to carry this out, it will be done. While there is no norm of providing compensation for goats killed due to dog bites, a committee will be formed to solve the matter,” the commissioner said.