More than 300 community dogs have been killed in two villages in Tirunelveli district and one village in Tiruvarur district in the past week.
T.B. Somanathan, an animal welfare activist, said nearly 100 dogs were killed and buried in Melagaram village near Tenkasi, and another 150 dogs in Pettai village in the Tirunelveli district. About 60 dogs were killed in Rayapuram in Tiruvarur district. The dogs were killed on November 21, 22 and 23, he said.
In two places the dogs were captured, killed and buried along with the garbage. In one place, a group of narikoravas killed them, and the tooth extracted and sold as tiger tooth to the gullible public, he said.
In Tirunelveli district, activists have filed a police complaint. In Tiruvarur district, an FIR was filed and police immediately secured Mahesh, son of the panchayat vice president. However, he was enlarged on bail.
In Tenkasi, and Rayapuram in Tiruvarur, dogs were caught and clubbed to death. The carcasses were buried with garbage, which was then burnt. This is being done to hide any evidence of catching and killing them, said the activists.
In all these incidents, the police initiated action only after the district administration intervened, allege the activists. A joint effort by Animal Husbandry authorities, police officials and local body representatives alone would solve the problem of unauthorised killing of community dogs, added the activists.
