In a disturbing turn of events, over 100 stray dogs have been allegedly poisoned to death in the village of Yacharam, located approximately 50 km from Hyderabad in Rangareddy district. This incident follows closely on the heels of a mass killing of over 500 dogs across three districts in Telangana, sparking outrage among animal welfare activists.
The latest killings are believed to have been carried out by professionals, allegedly at the behest of the village sarpanch and his associates. As of yet, the carcasses of the dogs remain unretrieved.
A case has been registered under the BNS Sections 325 read with 3(5) and Sec 11(1)(a)(i) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act against three individuals, including the village sarpanch. In addition, a ward member and village secretary have been named as accused.
According to Mudavath Preethi of the Stray Animal Foundation of India, who filed the complaint, the killings took place on January 19, with the carcasses likely buried outside the village. The investigation is ongoing, and efforts are being made to locate where the dog carcasses have been buried.
Animal rights activists suspect that, like in previous instances reported from Kamareddy, Hanumakonda, and Jagtial, the stray dogs were killed using lethal injections administered by professional “dog killers.” In her complaint, Preethi noted that conflicting versions provided by village representatives regarding the whereabouts of the missing dogs raised suspicion.
A phone conversation with animal welfare activist Deepika Pingali revealed that a ward member claimed the dogs were relocated. However, when another activist, Adulapuram Goutham, spoke to the same ward member, he asserted that the dogs were given anaesthesia injections. Further enquiries are being made to confirm these claims.
This latest incident underscores the urgent need for stricter enforcement of animal welfare laws and tougher penalties for those who engage in such cruel acts against innocent animals.
