Activist E Tina said the dogs should not be kept at the Pulianthope Animal Birth Control (ABC) centre for an extended period. “It is not healthy to house them long-term at ABC centres. They must be moved to proper shelters. We have adopted all 22 dogs captured today,” she said.

According to GCC, there are around 1.8 lakh stray dogs in Chennai. The civic body currently runs four ABC centres and had planned 11 more, of which 2 facilities were recently inaugurated.CHENNAI: Tension prevailed at the Madras High Court on Wednesday morning when animal activists blocked Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) dog-catching vehicles and staged a sit-in protest, alleging that the removal of stray dogs from the premises was in violation of norms.

Around 14 Corporation vehicles arrived to catch stray dogs within the High Court complex. On being alerted, more than 10 animal lovers gathered at the entrances and prevented the vehicles from entering.

However, three vehicles managed to move in through the Golden Jubilee gate and left with dogs they had captured, leading to heated arguments between activists and civic staff. Police stepped in to pacify both sides.

D Parkaash Ganth, founder, Heaven for Dogs NGO, said a quarrel broke out during the operation. Activists claimed that 22 dogs, including puppies, were taken away and alleged that two dogs died during the capture. They argued that the Supreme Court order permits catching stray dogs only in public places and not inside the High Court campus.

Activist E Tina said the dogs should not be kept at the Pulianthope Animal Birth Control (ABC) centre for an extended period. “It is not healthy to house them long-term at ABC centres. They must be moved to proper shelters. We have adopted all 22 dogs captured today,” she said.

According to GCC, there are around 1.8 lakh stray dogs in Chennai. The civic body currently runs four ABC centres and had planned 11 more, of which 2 facilities were recently inaugurated.