Nomadic groups involved, they say

Representatives of People for Animals (Chennai) have alleged that a few members of a nomadic community were stealing pet cats from houses, taking them away in garbage bags and then killing them by tossing them into hot water.

Representatives of the group that met Police Commissioner A.K. Viswanathan recently said that the meat of these cats was being sold as mutton biriyani at roadside eateries/hotels in Pallavaram, Avadi and Otteri.

Shiranee Pereira of PfA said they had been receiving complaints from cat lovers and owners across the city about pets being lost to the illegal cat meat trade.

She said that in 2012, when similar complaints came up, the then Commissioner of Police had held meetings with the nomads and asked them to desist from such illegal acts. However, they continued to brazenly indulge in the crime.

“Eateries selling cat meat as mutton must also be identified and shut down. Continuous police surveillance of these camps, we feel, will greatly deter this criminal activity,” Ms. Pereira said.