After toddler attack, Tamil Nadu civic bodies fast-track dog vaccination, sterilisation

Civic bodies in Vellore, Ranipet, and Tiruvannamalai districts have accelerated mass vaccination and sterilisation of community dogs to ensure public safety, particularly for senior citizens and children.

The drive follows an incident where a three-year-old boy, N. Rithvik, was reportedly attacked by a group of community dogs while playing outside his home in Vaniyambadi town, Tirupattur district. CCTV footage of the incident went viral, prompting public concern.

In partnership with the Department of Animal Husbandry, the Tamil Nadu Animal Welfare Board, and NGOs, major local bodies such as Vellore and Tiruvannamalai Corporations have been conducting mass vaccination and sterilisation every Saturday for the past month. With the August 1 deadline for foot and mouth disease vaccination for cows approaching, veterinarians are handling both drives simultaneously, said G. Anduvan, Joint Director (in-charge) of the Department of Animal Husbandry in Vellore.

Vellore district has 45,829 community dogs, with the Vellore Corporation accounting for 27,102. As of July 25, 15,641 dogs — including 7,496 in the corporation — have been vaccinated.

Tiruvannamalai, a temple town that receives 1.5 lakh visitors daily, has also faced stray dog issues. The corporation has vaccinated over 4,000 of its 5,175 dogs. A full-fledged Animal Birth Control centre, the first in the town, is being built at a cost of Rs 64 lakh for sterilisation. Priority is given to dogs near educational institutions and hospitals, said corporation commissioner K. Balasubramanian.

In Ranipet district, around 12,000 dogs were identified in major towns, with Ranipet town having the highest count of 5,787. Over 60% of dogs in the district have been vaccinated.