Civic bodies in Vellore, Ranipet, and Tiruvannamalai districts have stepped up efforts to vaccinate and sterilize community dogs in response to concerns over public safety, particularly for senior citizens and children. The move comes after a recent incident in Vaniyambadi town, where a three-year-old boy was attacked by a group of community dogs while playing outside his house.
The incident, which was captured on CCTV footage and went viral on social media, sparked widespread outrage and calls for action to address the issue. Residents like K. Vanitha welcome the initiative, saying that vaccination and sterilization of community dogs will help reduce their numbers and make it safer for children to play outside. In association with the Department of Animal Husbandry, Tamil Nadu Animal Welfare Board, and NGOs, local bodies like Vellore and Tiruvannamalai Corporations have been conducting mass vaccination and sterilization drives every Saturday for the past month.
According to G. Anduvan, Joint Director (JD) In-charge, Department of Animal Husbandry (Vellore), veterinarians are working to handle both the vaccination drive for community dogs and the upcoming deadline for foot and mouth disease (FMD) vaccination for cows on August 1. In Vellore district, there are a total of 45,829 community dogs, with the highest number found in Vellore Corporation. As of July 25, 15,641 dogs, including 7,496 in the Corporation, have been vaccinated.
Tiruvannamalai Corporation has also been working to address the issue, with a focus on vaccinating dogs near educational institutions and hospitals. The civic body has vaccinated over 4,000 dogs out of a total of 5,175 and is constructing a full-fledged Animal Birth Control (ABC) centre at a cost of Rs 64 lakh. In Ranipet, around 12,000 dogs have been identified in major towns, with Ranipet having the highest number of 5,787 dogs. More than 60% of dogs in the district have been vaccinated.
The mass vaccination and sterilization drives are expected to continue in the coming weeks, with the aim of reducing the number of community dogs and making public spaces safer for residents.
