Stray dogs found roaming on a street in Tiruchi.
| Photo Credit: M. MOORTHY
Despite Tiruchi Corporation’s efforts to curb the stray dog population in the city, the menace continues to pose a safety threat to residents.
Incidents of dog bites were reported at Vayalur Road and near the District Court complex in the last two weeks. In both cases, the dogs have migrated from their locality to other places for want of food. They display aggressive behaviour due to rising temperatures and food shortages. The menace is more prevalent in areas where food carts and street food vendors are present, said an official.
Residents complain that the street dog menace is common in areas such as K. K. Nagar, Khajamalai, Karumandapam, Woraiyur, Thennur, Kattur, Srirangam, Crawford and Bheema Nagar.
Packs of dogs are seen roaming the streets, especially at night, and incidents of stray dogs biting people are increasing. “Unvaccinated stray dogs pose a threat of spreading rabies. We are scared to allow our children to play outdoors. The situation is worsening day by day and creates a safety risk for the entire neighbourhood,” said Felix, a resident of Pari Nagar.
They complain that some of the sterilised dogs, after being released back into their area, have turned aggressive and charge at the residents. “People returning home at night are chased by the dogs. The authorities should take steps to relocate the dogs to dedicated shelters,” said T. Vigneshwar, a resident of KK Nagar.
According to the official source, the Corporation, through its animal birth control programme, has sterilised as many as 26,770 street dogs between April 2023 and July 2025 with an ear notch made to indicate the animal had undergone the procedure. Anti-rabies vaccines and antiparasitic drugs have been administered to the animals.
A recent survey found that there are about 43,767 stray dogs in the city. Officials said the rate of increase in the number would come down in the next few months due to the sterilisation programme.
Published – July 09, 2025 07:56 pm IST
