Stray dog massacre continues in Telangana; 900 dead, claim activists
Hyderabad: Stray dog culling continues to spark outrage in Telangana, with animal rights activists claiming that the toll has now reached 900.
In the latest incident, around 300 dogs were allegedly killed in Pegadapally village of Jagtial district on January 22, activists said. The killings are suspected to have been carried out by local elected representatives, including Sarpanchs, reportedly to fulfil election promises made to villagers ahead of the gram panchayat polls held in December last year.
A complaint lodged against the village Sarpanch and Gram Panchayat secretary alleged that the former hired individuals to poison the strays. Based on the complaint, police registered an FIR under relevant sections of the BNS and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
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Inspector Ch. Kiran said, “At this stage, we cannot confirm the involvement of the accused persons in the incident,” adding that post-mortem reports were awaited and further investigation was underway. During the inquest, around 70 to 80 dog carcasses were exhumed from the burial site, which appeared to have been buried three to four days prior.
This is not the first such incident in January. According to complaints filed by animal rights activists, 100 dogs were allegedly poisoned in Yacharam village on January 19, though only 50 carcasses were recovered immediately.
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Earlier this month, police in Hanamkonda district booked nine people, including two women sarpanches and their husbands, in connection with the alleged killing of around 300 stray dogs in Shayampet and Arepally villages.
In another case, around 200 stray dogs were allegedly killed in Kamareddy district, leading to FIRs against six individuals, including five village sarpanches.
Animal rights activists have strongly condemned these incidents, highlighting the escalating trend of inhumane treatment of stray animals in Telangana.