HELP SAVE DOGS OF INDIA! ANIMAL CRUELTY IS WRONG
- by: Billy Carvelli
- recipient: Stray Dogs Of India
A family in Kovalam, near Chennai (Madras) in Tamil Nadu are mourning the death of Tokki, their five-year-old dog who was shot in early August after the official village council ordered the killing of strays in the area.
"Tokki had slipped out of the house and gone to the beach when I heard shots," R Mohan, a fisherman, told BBC Hindi.
Mr Mohan says he ran outside shouting for the shooting to stop, but Tokki, who had clearly been mistaken for a stray, was hit by a bullet and collapsed near the house.
"He may have still escaped if he was a little faster," he said.
The family believes that the village council president Mr Janakiraman, is to blame for their dog's death and want him punished. Mr Janakiraman says the decision to kill dogs was taken collectively by villagers.
Most villagers in fact, have expressed their support for the culling of stray dogs, alleging that they regularly attack children. Around 15 dogs are believed to have been shot, and their carcasses thrown into the sea.
'A menace'
Mr Mohan's daughter Priyanka, 18, said the family have not been able to eat or sleep properly since Tokki's death. Her 11-year-old sister who had been inconsolable had only just gone back to school, she added.
"Tokki was like our son, as we do not have any male children. Ever since I found Tokki as an abandoned pup, we have considered him a family member," Mr Mohan said.
Members of Blue Cross, an animal welfare group, rushed to the village when they heard about the shootings and registered a police case against the village council president and a man believed to have been hired by the council to carry out the shootings.
But soon afterwards, around 200 villagers turned up at the police station, demanding that the case be withdrawn. They alleged that the decision to shoot the dogs had been taken only because their complaints against the growing menace of stray dogs had gone unheard.
Dawn Williams of Blues Cross admitted that stray dogs were a serious concern, but said that rubbish dumps in the area were to blame.
"The large amounts of garbage give dogs plenty of food, which is why they multiply so rapidly," he said.
Authorities are worried. More than 100,000 people suffered dog bites in Tamil Nadu last year. This year 60,000 people had been bitten by July.
The government is now planning to set up 500 sterilization centers in the state to bring down the canine population.
PLEASE HELP STOP ANIMAL CRUELTY!
A family in Kovalam, near Chennai (Madras) in Tamil Nadu are mourning the death of Tokki, their five-year-old dog who was shot in early August after the official village council ordered the killing of strays in the area.
"Tokki had slipped out of the house and gone to the beach when I heard shots," R Mohan, a fisherman, told BBC Hindi.
Mr Mohan says he ran outside shouting for the shooting to stop, but Tokki, who had clearly been mistaken for a stray, was hit by a bullet and collapsed near the house.
"He may have still escaped if he was a little faster," he said.
The family believes that the village council president Mr Janakiraman, is to blame for their dog's death and want him punished. Mr Janakiraman says the decision to kill dogs was taken collectively by villagers.
Most villagers in fact, have expressed their support for the culling of stray dogs, alleging that they regularly attack children. Around 15 dogs are believed to have been shot, and their carcasses thrown into the sea.
'A menace'
Mr Mohan's daughter Priyanka, 18, said the family have not been able to eat or sleep properly since Tokki's death. Her 11-year-old sister who had been inconsolable had only just gone back to school, she added.
"Tokki was like our son, as we do not have any male children. Ever since I found Tokki as an abandoned pup, we have considered him a family member," Mr Mohan said.
Members of Blue Cross, an animal welfare group, rushed to the village when they heard about the shootings and registered a police case against the village council president and a man believed to have been hired by the council to carry out the shootings.
But soon afterwards, around 200 villagers turned up at the police station, demanding that the case be withdrawn. They alleged that the decision to shoot the dogs had been taken only because their complaints against the growing menace of stray dogs had gone unheard.
Dawn Williams of Blues Cross admitted that stray dogs were a serious concern, but said that rubbish dumps in the area were to blame.
"The large amounts of garbage give dogs plenty of food, which is why they multiply so rapidly," he said.
Authorities are worried. More than 100,000 people suffered dog bites in Tamil Nadu last year. This year 60,000 people had been bitten by July.
The government is now planning to set up 500 sterilisation centres in the state to bring down the canine population.
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