Stray Dog Bites 3 Women In College Campus Near Chennai

Three students were bitten by a stray dog on the campus of Tamil Nadu's Government Meenakshi College for Women, approximately 465 km from Chennai, on Monday, prompting calls for urgent action to prevent further attacks.

Following the incident, the Madurai Municipal Corporation caught five stray dogs from the campus after the college authorities lodged a formal complaint. However, they have requested the civic officials to remove the rest of the stray dogs around the campus to ensure student safety. 

"Dogs often chase our students. Though strays were removed earlier, they were dropped back after undergoing Animal Birth Control procedures and rabies vaccination," Ms Chandra, the Principal-in-Charge of the college, said. 

The injured students were immediately taken to the Government Rajaji Medical College Hospital for treatment, and are currently in stable condition. 

The incident has reignited the debate around stray dogs and public safety, especially in light of a recent Supreme Court observation questioning why dog lovers who feed strays cannot do so within the premises of their homes.

Many residents as well as the students' parents argued that human safety must be prioritised. 

"We cannot turn a blind eye to repeated dog bite incidents. No one should lose their life to preventable animal attacks," said Saira Anwar, a parent. 

Meanwhile, animal rights activists argue that regularly feeding stray dogs helps them remain calm and non-aggressive. 

"Hungry dogs are more likely to become wild in search of food," Antony Rubin, an activist, said.

Activists also insist that humans must co-exist with animals, and stress the need for better implementation of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) and vaccination programmes to control stray dog population. 

According to a municipal survey conducted in May this year, there are around 27,000 to 38,000 stray dogs in Madurai. In 2024, at least 14,000 dog bite cases were reported in 100 wards of the city, with an average of 1,000 to 1,200 cases per month, data shared by Madurai municipal corporation stated. 

The ABC Rules, which have replaced the 2001 Animal Birth Control (Dog) Rules, use the expression "community animals" instead of "stray dogs," acknowledging that these dogs are not homeless but territorial beings who belong to their local environments.