13 dogs culled in Puzhal jail staff quarters

CHENNAI: Residents of the Puzhal Central Jail staff quarters claimed that they heard gun shots early on Sunday morning. Surprisingly, the target of these attacks was not criminals, but stray dogs. According to Blue Cross of India officials, 13 carcasses were found on the playground within the quarters, which is a stone’s throw away from the prison. “We arrived around 10 am after a complaint from one of the upset residents. They pointed out the direction of the dead dogs,” said Dawn Williams, general manager, Blue Cross of India. “Each of the bodies had bullet wounds,” he said. He added that some of the residents, families of jailors, prison superintendents and security personnel, alleged that they heard almost 40 shots being fired”.A volunteer of Blue Cross said, “When we arrived there, some of the carcasses were still warm. So, we know that the gun shots were made shortly before we reached.” Blue Cross officials have said that the bodies of these animals have been delivered to the Madras Veterinary College at Vepery for a post-mortem examination. Police officials at the Puzhal police station said an FIR had been filed and investigations were underway. However, they refused to speculate whether the prison guards had anything to do with the dogs being killed.Meanwhile, both the BCI and local residents confirmed that there had not been any dog menace in the area, nor had there been any reports of children being bitten in the recent past.