Chennai:
The Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the Animal Husbandry department to vaccinate stray dogs and cats in the state.
“When scavenging opportunities in and around the urban areas decreased, the department should now chalk out a holistic plan for the general treatment of stray animals in the State, providing for a scientific and humane approach even during normal times,” the first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy said.
A comprehensive plan dealing with vaccinating stray dogs and cats, if necessary, or collaring them or the like should also be thought of in the best interest of both the animals and the human population that they come into contact with, the bench said.
It was passing further interim orders on the PIL petition from animal activist V E Shiva praying for a direction to the State government to feed the stray animals, which are starving due to the pandemic.
Earlier, the department submitted that 2,500 kg of dog and 200 kg of cat feeds had been procured and 500 feeders had been engaged to feed the stray and abandoned animals. The second tranche of procurement is proposed to be made immediately and distributed once the earlier material has exhausted.
About 3,536 kg of wheat bran was being distributed to feed 104 horses.
A sum of Rs.19.79 lakh is said to be available for stray and community animals. It was decided by the Committee constituted by this Court that Rs.7.9 lakh would be used for the Greater Chennai area and another Rs.11.87 lakh was required to be distributed to 14 other corporation areas.
The bench recorded this and adjourned the matter till June 14.
