Anti-rabies vaccination drive held in Velachery, 107 canines get the shot

CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) carried out an anti-rabies vaccination drive for stray dogs in Division 178 of the Adyar zone on Sunday, vaccinating a total of 107 dogs.

This initiative comes in the wake of the recent incident where a stray dog attacked a seven-month-old baby girl and a nine-year-old boy at Park Avenue in Velachery on Friday. The same dog was reportedly involved in multiple attacks or attempted attacks on at least seven or eight other individuals in the area.

The vaccination drive is part of the GCC’s efforts to curb the spread of rabies and improve the safety of both residents and animals in the locality. Around 13 veterinary assistant surgeons, including doctors from the Animal Birth Control (ABC) centre in Kannammapettai, veterinary supervisors and dog catchers were engaged in the drive.

Speaking to TNIE, the zonal veterinary officer stated that two dogs were captured on Saturday, with many members of the public identifying one of them as the one responsible for the recent attack. However, others have allegedly denied the claims. With a team of 15 dog catchers, the search still continues to identify the dog. Since the injuries were not severe, both the baby and the boy are doing well, she added.