Lack of data on dogs, ineffective ABC worsened crisis

'Stray population higher than official estimates'

- NIRUPAMA VISWANATHAN/SUBASHINI VIJAYAKUMAR @ Chennai

The keenness expressed by Municipal Administration Minister K N Nehru on Tuesday to swiftly implement the Supreme Court's order to remove stray dogs from the streets appeared to be an indication of offering a quick fix after failing to effectively implement the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme for over two decades by successive governments.

Activists point out that, despite spending tens of crores on the programme every year, the stray population remained much higher than estimates.

To start with, there is no reliable state-wide data on the stray dog population. According to the nation-wide Livestock Census done in 2019, TN had 4.41 lakh stray dogs. However, no exercise has been done by the state since to estimate their population. Of the 25 municipal corporations, only four have completed surveys in the last two years.