TN BJP leader urges CM Stalin to act on Tamil Nadu’s stray dog crisis

Chennai, Aug 24 Tamil Nadu BJP spokesperson A.N.S. Prasad has written to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin demanding urgent action to tackle what he described as an “escalating stray dog crisis” in the state.

In his letter, Prasad pointed out that increasing incidents of dog bites and rabies-related deaths have created widespread fear among the public, particularly endangering children and the elderly.

Citing Supreme Court guidelines issued on August 11 by a three-judge bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N.V. Anjaria, Prasad said the state government must act swiftly to enforce the directives.

The court has laid down a framework that allows municipal bodies to capture stray dogs for sterilisation and vaccination before releasing them back, except in the case of rabid or aggressive animals that must be sheltered.

Feeding strays in public places was also banned, with local bodies instructed to designate feeding zones.

Prasad alleged that Tamil Nadu had failed to effectively implement the Animal Birth Control (ABC) and anti-rabies programmes, which were first introduced in 2010-11. He noted that rabies deaths had spiked from 18 in 2023 to 43 in 2024, while early 2025 had already recorded 1.24 lakh dog-bite cases.

He claimed municipal corporations had neglected sterilisation drives and censuses, allowing stray populations to rise unchecked, while government hospitals continued to suffer shortages of anti-rabies vaccines and trained personnel.

The BJP spokesperson urged the Chief Minister to immediately convene a high-level task force with officials from the Home, Health, and Municipal Administration departments, along with Collectors and Corporation Commissioners, to draw up a time-bound action plan.

He further called for district-level committees to lead awareness campaigns, stricter enforcement of sterilisation and vaccination programmes, and regular stray dog population surveys.

Highlighting that India records over 20,000 rabies deaths annually, Prasad warned that Tamil Nadu could not afford further delays. “The rising tide of dog bite incidents, amplified by viral videos, has sparked fear and outrage. The state’s inaction has perpetuated preventable suffering, and further delays are unacceptable,” he wrote.

Prasad also demanded that government hospitals be adequately stocked with vaccines and that treatment for dog-bite victims be made readily accessible, without forcing families into expensive private care.

Copies of the letter were also sent to the Home, Health, and Municipal Administration Secretaries.

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