The Madras High Court on Friday, September 17 ordered the Tamil Nadu government to make sure that the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) campus does not house stray dogs in the ‘dog park’ created by the Institute management.
The PIL filed by People for Cattle in India (PFCI) in the Madras High Court (HC) was taken up by Justice PD Aadikesavalu and Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee on Friday. The PIL was filed alleging that the IIT-M management had opened a dog park in which more than 170 dogs were housed and about 45 had died.
Taking up the PIL, the court observed that it is not IIT-Madras’s responsibility to maintain stray dogs or pets in the campus by directing funds for such activities, as per a report in the Times of India (ToI). “IIT-M is neither a zoo nor a dog park,”the court said.
The court further ordered PFCI and Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to take necessary measures to deal with the situation at the IIT-M campus while also making sure that necessary treatment is provided to the dogs, the ToI report added.
When TNM contacted GCC, the officials said that after thoroughly reviewing the order by Madras High Court, the Corporation will take the necessary measures. However, GCC currently only operates birth control facilities and does not have a shelter for stray dogs.
Speaking to TNM, member of the hospital committee, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) Shruti Vinodh Raj said, “To begin with, mIt is a herculean task to put 50 adult Indian dogs for adoption, also the possibility of it getting adopted is low.”
“The NGOs working on animal welfare and even the GCC are full with their respective activities. Hence, as IIT-M is a 615-acre campus, they should accommodate the stray dogs there by providing better health and environment to the strays,”added Shruti.
Shruti also pointed out the possibility of other universities and campuses in the city alleging dog menace within their premises and seeking the government’s intervention.
Commenting on the deer deaths on campus, Shruti said, “There is no conclusive evidence that deer and other wildlife at IIT-M are dying due to stray dogs. It is believed that the wildlife deaths on campus are due to plastic consumption. Hence, IIT-M students alleging that stray dogs are responsible for the death of wildlife is unfair.”
In August, TNM reported that several demands have been made by the students and residents of the campus to allow them inside the ‘dog park’ or to release the dogs captured by one Jeeva Karunya Trust from Nagercoil.
According to several reports, IIT-M hired the Trust to take care of the dogs, including for vaccinating and sterilising them. However, the Trust allegedly under the direction of IIT-M, began capturing the dogs from October 2020. IIT-M, in a report to Madras HC in July, said that 45 of the 170 stray dogs held captive inside the campus have died and that no post-mortem was done to ascertain the reason for the death of these dogs.
Further, on February 2, 2021, the Chennai collector had ordered the release of the stray dogs held captive inside the campus after sterilisation. However, IIT-M failed to follow through on this order.