The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has partnered with the animal rights organisation People for Animals (PFA) to tackle the growing issue of stray dogs around Chennai International Airport.
Launched on Tuesday, the initiative focuses on sterilising and vaccinating the community dogs living in and around airport premises, promoting a humane and sustainable approach to animal management. Two trained dog handlers are now stationed on-site to monitor canine activity, discourage passengers from feeding the dogs, and assist with the sterilisation programme.
“There are around 50 dogs in the vicinity, and nearly half have already been sterilised. We are working to ensure the entire community dog population is covered,” said K Ramesh, president of PFA’s Tambaram chapter, who prefers to call these animals “community dogs” rather than strays.
Ramesh also highlighted past concerns over unregulated and illegal dog-catching on airport grounds. “After several months of discussions with airport authorities, we agreed on a plan focused on sterilisation, vaccination, and responsible management,” he explained.
He stressed that dogs should not be allowed in passenger movement areas and urged the public to avoid feeding them. “Sterilised dogs tend to be far less aggressive. So far, five dogs have been sterilised under this programme, with previous efforts by Blue Cross and AAI having covered another 22 to 25,” he added.
PFA teams will maintain 24/7 surveillance in shifts and plan to expand their coverage over time. Dogs that have undergone sterilisation are marked through ear notching, a standard method used in animal birth control programs to identify treated animals.
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