TIRUPUR: At least 14 goats were killed in stray dogs attacks across two villages in Kangayam taluk in Tirupur district on Tuesday night, triggering unrest among dairy farmers who depend on livestock for their livelihood.The incidents were reported at Veeranampalayam and Moolanur villages. In Veeranampalayam, six goats owned by Chellamuthu were killed after being attacked by a pack of stray dogs. In a similar incident at Moolanur, eight goats belonging to Balasubramanian were killed and 20 others sustained serious injuries.Angered by the repeated attacks and mounting losses, farmers initially planned to take the carcasses to the district collector’s office without conducting postmortem examinations, as a mark of protest, demanding adequate compensation.On receiving information, officials attached to the Animal Husbandry Department rushed to the spot, conducted an inspection, and held talks with the affected farmers.According to P Velusamy, president, PAP Water Conservation Association, Tirupur district is home to nearly seven lakh goats in Tamil Nadu. “For the past three years, stray dog attacks have been causing continuous livestock losses, severely affecting the livelihood and basic income of farmers.”He said while the government had issued an order in Feb to disburse Rs38.32 lakh as second-phase compensation to 358 livestock owners for 1,389 dead animals, the amount had not yet been released. Earlier, Rs14.97 lakh had been distributed as first-phase relief from the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund.Farmers also expressed concerns over inadequate compensation. Pointing out that a goat was priced anywhere in the range of Rs12,000-Rs30,000 in the market, they said the existing relief amount of Rs6,000 was insufficient.Officials assured that the second-phase compensation would be disbursed soon after collecting beneficiaries’ bank details. They also said future compensation would be based on market value assessed by veterinary doctors.Following the assurance, farmers withdrew their protest and agreed to conduct postmortem before burying the dead animals.“We are fed up urging authorities to control the stray dog menace. With the number of stray dogs increasing, farmers are now avoiding going outside at night owing to safety concerns,” Velusamy said.
