On Monday, the Chennai Corporation inaugurated the first dog shelter run by a civic body in the State.
The facility, spread over two acres near the Kannamapet burial ground, will provide medical treatment for sick dogs. “This facility is built for the purpose of admitting sick, injured and disabled dogs. It will also have an animal birth control theatre. We have facilities for training residents in making dogs in their neighbourhood community-friendly,” said an official of the Corporation.
Last year, the Animal Welfare Board of India asked the Corporation to discontinue measures that may violate animal birth control rules. Board members also met with senior officials of the Corporation, following concerns raised by NGOs last year.
“The shelters will not violate animal birth control rules. Each of the 15 zones will have one dog shelter each. The civic body has also initiated measures to procure 15 additional vehicles for transporting dogs,” said the official.
Residents could also take their pets for medical treatment to the shelter, which has the facility to treat five per cent of the 1.7 lakh dogs in the city, he added.
