Animal activists and volunteers said the city had fewer incidents of animals getting injured and separated from their owners this Deepavali.
A stray dog in Mylapore was rescued and taken for treatment to the Besant Memorial Animal Dispensary (BMAD) with injuries on its paw and head. “The dog’s paw was severely injured and this might have prevented it from running to safety. The animal was bleeding on the head and was treated,” said Vignesh Vijayalakshmi, a volunteer at Blue Cross. Another dog in Virugambakkam lost an eye and sustained burns on its nose after coming into contact with firecrackers on the road. The dog was taken to the Blue Cross facility for treatment.
Dawn Williams, general manager, Blue Cross, said they had been tipped off about rescues through calls as well as Whatsapp messages. “In Mandaveli, a cat which got frightened due to firecrackers was stuck on a sunshade on the fourth floor of an apartment complex,” he said.
Mr. Williams said while he saw a decrease in the number of people bursting crackers, the trauma caused for animals remains the same. “Adults especially need to be more aware of animals in their neighbourhoods and ensure they don’t cause them any harm,” he added.
Shravan Krishnan, who helps run BMAD, said during Deepavali, they generally see a lot of dogs get hit by vehicles after being startled due to crackers. “However, the number of cases we’ve seen have dropped significantly this year. This can be attributed to the decline in people bursting crackers,” he added.
He said that there was a general increase in awareness among people about how it could affect animals. “There were two lost dogs which were reunited with their owners. There has been a lot of effort on social media as well to create awareness,” he said.
