Four community dogs, including two puppies, died after consuming poisoned chicken feed in Vettuvankeni near Neelankarai on the East Coast Road on Tuesday.
It is suspected the feed was left behind by criminal elements targeting the animals.
Fifteen crows that consumed the feed were also found dead.
Four other dogs picked up from the spot by a Blue Cross ambulance survived.
B. Gopi, who complained to the police, said he noticed a few dogs struggling to walk when he went to the area to inspect a house he was building there. Around 1 p.m. on Tuesday, the site supervisor of his building saw a couple of the dogs gasping for breath.
The supervisor alerted Mr. Gopi who then checked on the dogs. Meanwhile, the supervisor removed bone fragments from the mouths of three puppies. They survived.
Mr. Gopi said dogs were lying about, unable to walk, in different parts of the area.
Following the incident, a complaint was lodged with the local police.
A team of officers, led by the Neelankarai inspector, arrived at the spot and took stock of the situation.
Mr. Gopi said the dogs may have been killed by criminal elements as the animals were an obstacle to burglars and thieves.
Last week, four dogs were poisoned to death in Rangarajapuram in Kodambakkam. A complaint was filed against a couple of transgenders who were suspected to be involved in petty offences.
Incidents on the riseThere has been an increase in the instances of poisoning of community dogs in the past six months, said T.B. Somanathan, an animal welfare activist.
“District collectors must create awareness among panchayat presidents on this issue. Only such a step will put an end to this kind of cruelty,” he said.
Cases can be filed under Sections 428 and 429 for maiming or inflicting cruelties upon animals, and it can attract imprisonment of up to five years, said Mr. Somanathan.
