The Tamil Nadu Animal Welfare Board (TNAWB) has officially flagged the NGO Prani Mithran for repeated acts of extreme cruelty and medical malpractice during government-funded animal birth control (ABC) cycles. Between January 2023 and January 2026, the board logged 17 formal complaints against the group. Operating in Coimbatore, Tiruppur, and Avadi, the organization stands accused of leaving stray dogs with botched surgeries, missing post-operative care, and failing to mark animals with the required ear-notches.
The Mechanics of Neglect
Inspection reports paint a picture of a mechanical failure in what is supposed to be a humane system. The TNAWB found that the NGO was running operations without proper surgical theaters or sterile equipment. Dogs were held in filthy pens, and many died following crude sterilization procedures.
Negligence: Lack of recovery time and pain management for dogs after they are cut open.
Mutilation: Animals returning to the streets with infected wounds or improper ear-cuts.
Administrative Silence: A persistent failure to follow statutory rules designed to prevent animal suffering.
"The Board received 17 formal complaints… citing improper surgeries and several deaths," stated S.P. Amrith, Member Secretary of the TNAWB, in a demand for immediate action from the Director of Municipal Administration.
A New Layer of Paperwork
In May 2025, the state government formed a high-level panel to oversee the mess. This committee, filled with heads from the health, rural development, and animal husbandry departments, is tasked with fixing the fragmented implementation of birth control. The panel aims to balance the "menace" of dog bites with the legal requirement for humane treatment.
| Location | Agency Responsible | Violation Noted |
|---|---|---|
| Coimbatore | Prani Mithran | Lack of surgical tools, high mortality |
| Tirunelveli | Unnamed NGO | Poor maintenance of holding sheds |
| Avadi | Prani Mithran | Failure to perform mandatory ear-notching |
| Chennai | Municipal Body | Rising rabies cases due to poor ABC coverage |
Background: The Cost of Shaky Implementation
The push for tighter control follows a string of failures that moved beyond animal welfare into public health. In late 2023, the TNAWB reported a spike in rabies incidents in Chennai, including a case where a suspected rabid dog bit ten others and its owner before dying. Activists argue that when NGOs take public money but skip the actual science of birth control, the population remains unchecked and the risk of disease climbs.
Legal pressure remains centered on Section 3 and 11(1) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, which mandates a duty of care that current contractors appear to treat as a suggestion rather than a requirement. In June 2025, police in Melapalayam registered a case against another NGO for similar neglect, suggesting the problem with Prani Mithran is part of a broader, systemic decay in how the state manages its streets.