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Morning walkers and fitness enthusiasts visiting the railway ground in Arasaradi are facing growing anxiety as a rising population of stray dogs continues to give nightmares to visitors. Regulars who frequent the ground in the early hours report that stray packs routinely chase, bark at and attempt to bite people, turning a peaceful exercise spot into a source of fear.Despite repeated appeals by ground personnel and visitors to Madurai City Municipal Corporation, no effective measures have been implemented so far. “Even if dogs are captured, they are immediately released nearby. But they return to the same place, continuing to harass walkers,” one of the ground staff said.Kumaran, an elderly resident who uses the ground in the mornings and evenings, said that he feels helpless regarding the stray dog issue. “Many people carry sticks to chase away dogs, but when they run at us in packs, panic takes over and we are unable to do anything,” he said, adding that running away from the stray dogs was not an option for many of the senior visitors to the ground.Regular visitors and ground staff are urging for not just anti-rabies vaccinations but also the relocation of the strays from public places like the railway ground so that residents can use the park without interruptions or fear.A senior corporation official said that while the ARV drive was progressing at a rapid pace, corporation also captures and holds several dogs that display aggressive behaviours at shelters. “Only dogs that do not show aggression are released after a monitoring period, following their sterilisation and administering the anti-rabies vaccination,” he said.