Corporation directed to file report on city dog pounds

JusticeT S Sivagananam and Justice K Ravichandrabaabu, directing the Corporation to submit the report on Friday, said, “It is submitted that the Chennai Corporation has disregarded the directions issued in the matter taken up by the State Human Rights Commission and no action has been taken. At the first instance, a report be filed on behalf of the Chennai Corporation as to what is the condition of the dog pounds in the city.

The report should be supported with photographs.”

The bench was passing the direction based on a plea moved by Almighty Animal Care Trust represented by its trustee AS Mahadevan.

The petitioner was seeking suitable directions to all the Corporations, Municipalities, and other local bodies in the state to strictly comply with the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Animal Birth Control Rules in the dog pound and the animal care centre maintained by them.

The plea pointed out that at the dog pound in Basin Bridge maintained by the Greater Chennai Corporation, the captured dogs have

been improperly sterilised and basic amenities, such as food and water, were not provided properly to the dogs. The mandate of the pound is to catch the stray dogs, sterilise and immunise them against rabies and release them in the same area from where they were caught, as per Animal Birth Control Rules.

However, no such exercise has been carried out by the local bodies, resulting in overcrowding of dogs in the pounds, the plea said.