TIRUNELVELI: The Tamil Nadu Animal Welfare Board (TNAWB) has directed Jeeva Karunya Animal Welfare Charitable Trust, which is authorised by the Tirunelveli corporation, to immediately stop all operations including animal birth control (ABC) surgeries on stray dogs, citing eight complaints received against it since 2021 across the state, including recent incident of two animal deaths in Tirunelveli.
In its letter to the trust on Friday, the TNAWB said, "From the tragic deaths of dogs at IIT Madras to the inhumane conditions reported in shelters across Kanniyakumari, Nagercoil, Ramanathapuram, Udumalaipettai, and, most recently, Tirunelveli, your trust has demonstrated that it is unfit to operate any programme related to animal welfare. We request you to clarify in what capacity you are carrying out ABC surgeries in the districts mentioned above. Please submit your response within 15 days. Meanwhile, we urge you to immediately stop all operations until the Board gives further instructions."
The Board stated that it had received a complaint in 2021 that 57 out of 187 dogs died in IIT Madras shelters run by the trust after the dogs were not released back after sterilisation, violating the ABC Rules 2023 and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
"In the light of complaints spanning over three years, it is evident that Jeeva Karunya Animal Welfare Charitable Trust has repeatedly and seriously violated the ABC Rules, 2023, and PCA Act. These are not one-time incidents, but part of a repeated pattern of cruel practices carried out in the name of animal welfare," the Board said.
Complaints against trust
Illegal capturing and relocation of community dogs at Irachakulam, Kanniyakumari
Misuse of govt funds to illegally catch and harm dogs in Kanniyakumari
Dogs captured and dumped at remote locations in Nagercoil
Contagious dogs allegedly kept with healthy ones in Keelakarai (Ramanathapuram) and released into deserted areas endangering their lives and spreading disease
70 dogs confined without food, water, or hygiene for three days in ABC centre in Udumalaipettai, suspected case of canine distemper reported