Residents of Mullainagar, near Gandarvakottai in Pudukkottai district, have voiced serious concerns over a local woman, Kalaichelvi, who is reportedly sheltering more than 120 dogs in her home for content on her YouTube channel ‘Amma Chellam’. What began with two puppies has grown into a large pack of stray dogs, many of which now roam the streets freely, sparking fears for public safety.
Locals allege that these dogs, some appearing visibly unhealthy with skin conditions, are a growing menace particularly to children, women, and the elderly. Recent viral news of dog attacks across the state has only heightened anxiety. Parents say they are now hesitant to let their children walk home from school, fearing potential attacks.
“Children are unable to go out or come once they return from school. Dogs are biting the children severely. Sir, we live solely for our children,” a women resident said.
“They tell us to keep the children inside, saying the dogs will stay outside. When we try to talk to them, they speak very offensively and use abusive words,” another women resident lamented.
“There are elderly people and young children nearby. We can’t go or come that side. They are breeding many dogs in their area,” another women resident said.
Another elderly resident said, “This woman, for the sake of that channel and publicity, keeps them (dogs) inside, applies a bindi, bathes it, dresses it up, and does all sorts of things with it, talking to it, saying, ‘Come, my darlings, come to Mommy, come, come, come.’ And the puppies, as if on cue, go up and climb things in that house and do everything. Now, my request is that they should move to the outer area. Because the children here are all very young. They talk about rabies – a disease from dogs; if those come, the future of these children will be ruined. They (children) can’t play freely outside. The children can’t even go to a nearby small shop alone because ten dogs chase them from behind.”
Tensions escalated when some residents approached Kalaichelvi with their concerns, only to be met with hostility. She reportedly defended her actions by saying, “A dog only chases someone if its mental state is affected in some way; normally, it wouldn’t chase. As far as dogs (our children) are concerned, who are full of love and affection, interact well with them. Everyone comes to our house, even people from high places come to visit, and they interact very affectionately. If every child (dog) were raised that way, everything would be good and filled with love. They have a lot of gratitude; it’s humans who might not.”
Despite her intentions, community members claim that many of the dogs are aggressive and unsupervised. They have urged local authorities to intervene, stating that public safety should not be compromised for the sake of social media content. They emphasize that such high-risk situations should not be permitted under the guise of animal welfare or YouTube stardom.
பெண் வளர்த்த 120 நாய்கள்.. கொந்தளித்த அக்கம் பக்கத்தினர்..!#Pudukkottai #DogViral #Youtuber #Doglady #TamilNews #NewsTamil #NewsTamil24x7 pic.twitter.com/4kgNzbqylo
— News Tamil 24×7 (@NewsTamilTV24x7) July 11, 2025
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