Chennai: Bond between human beings and dogs is centuries old. Dogs are even nicknamed as ‘man’s best friend’. But the increasing incidents of stray dog menace do not go well with this age-old bond.
Stray dog menace is a cause of concern for residents of Shenoy Nagar. It has been severe in the locality over the past few months, mainly due to the sudden increase in their numbers in the neighbourhood, many say.
“They chase us in packs,” says Arul, vice-president of Shenoy Nagar Welfare Association. Left-lovers by eateries on roadside and garbage bins attract them to our neighbourhood. We fear to cross the stretch after dark, says Krishnamurthy, a resident of the area.
“Some people have even stopped going for jogging early mornings fearing them,” he adds. Even motorists are not spared from incurring the wrath of these canines as they chase them causing inconvenience, according to Manivannan, a regular visitor to Shenoy Nagar. Authorities have to take necessary steps to control dog menace in the locality, he adds.
Residents say that repeated complaints to the local officials have not yielded a desired response.
“We ensure that our streets are not littered with garbage as we carry out source segregation at households. So, we are surprised to note that the stray dog population in our locality has shot up. Due to stray dogs roaming around all our streets, children were not allowed to play outside,” says S Suresh, a resident of the area.
Echoing the same, Chitra, a housewife says, “Due to the huge stray dog population, children are not allowed to play outdoors. And of course, there is the usual problem associated with stray dogs motorists being chased by dog packs at night. Only that, given the population of stray dogs in the locality, the problem is more severe than in most other localities.”