Fear grips residents with rising population of roaming stray dogs on Madurai streets

Madurai city, despite steady efforts of the Corporation, is currently facing a growing challenge regarding the safety of its residents due to the rising population of stray dogs on its streets.

Across neighbourhoods, residential colonies, and near public markets, morning walkers, children, and two-wheeler riders find themselves increasingly wary of packs of roaming canines. Incidents of dog bites and aggressive behaviour have sparked widespread anxiety among locals, turning a routine walk down the street into a cause for concern.

Addressing this mounting crisis requires a delicate balance between public safety and humane animal management.

The Supreme Court of India has issued crucial directives emphasising that while citizen safety and the right to a secure public space are paramount, civic authorities must strictly implement the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules.

The apex court’s rulings outlined clear protocols for managing aggressive or rabid animals while stressing large-scale vaccination and sterilization to control population growth systematically.

Further, the court has highlighted the need to keep sensitive institutional zones—such as schools, hospitals, and busy transit hubs—free from stray animals to protect vulnerable citizens.

D. Raghavan, president of the Gomathipuram Residents’ Welfare Association in Madurai, suggested that sterilised dogs should be clearly marked when they are released back onto the streets.

“Otherwise, corporation workers find it very difficult to identify and catch them again,” he explained.

While acknowledging that feeding and raising dogs is a matter of personal choice, Mr. Raghavan noted that these activities need proper regulation and monitoring by authorities.

On the other hand, an Anna Nagar resident who regularly feeds local stray dogs pointed out that no law prohibits feeding them. “We are not against the sterilization and regulation of dogs,” the resident clarified, expressing concern that residents’ associations sometimes intimidate feeders under the guise of neighborhood cleaning.

“Current guidelines state that dogs must be released back into the same locality after sterilization, but associations often demand they be dumped in entirely different areas,” the resident added.

In response to these directives and local grievances, the Madurai Corporation has stepped up its efforts to neutralise the stray dog population through structured interventions. Municipal authorities have been working to ramp up operations at specialised Animal Birth Control and immunisation centers.

Teams have been deployed to capture stray canines safely, transport them to designated facilities for veterinary check-ups, and carry out mass sterilisation and anti-rabies vaccination drives.

Officials are striving to expand local infrastructure to handle the high volume of strays more efficiently, officials said.

However, residents and civic activists emphasise that these drives need to be continuous, transparent, and widespread to make a lasting difference.