According to a report made by animal welfare activist A Goutham, roughly one hundred dogs in Kishtapur village, Mancherial district, Telangana, were, it is said, poisoned during the night of March 7th and 8th. This report was given to the police. This incident is one of a number of large-scale killings in the state, and has raised the number of dogs reported dead to around 1,300.
What happened
The report says the killings took place on the night of March 7th and 8th, when about 100 dogs were given poison by injection, and afterwards put in the ground close to a river. The activist – who is the Cruelty Prevention Manager for the Stray Animal Foundation of India – said that the village sarpanch and the gram panchayat secretary paid two people to do it.
Police in Jannaram started a case under the parts of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act which apply, after the report was received. Officials have stated that the investigation is still going on, to confirm who was involved and exactly what poison was used.
Legal proceedings and accusations
The case that was started names the sarpanch and gram panchayat officials as being accused, which is in line with what activists who found the bodies of the dogs said. Investigators now need to find proof from science, talk to people who saw things, and keep a record of who had the injections with poison in them.
Cases under the BNS and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act can result in punishments for being cruel, and for illegally killing animals. Making these laws work will depend on scientific proof being found quickly, and the local police and animal welfare organisations working together to get people found guilty, and to stop these things happening again.
Killings of this kind across Telangana
The Kishtapur incident is one of several large-scale killings reported in Telangana from December and January. Activists have recorded cases where hundreds of dogs were found dead in short periods of time, including in several districts and villages, where the bodies were dumped or buried.
Earlier reports showed about 500 dogs had been killed in a week, and at least 200 dogs were said to have been killed in Kamareddy district. Groups who work for animal welfare have kept a record of cases and made reports which raised the number of animals dead across the state to roughly 1,300.
Elections and possible reasons
Animal welfare activists, and people in the area, have suggested that the killings are linked to promises made during the gram panchayat elections in December. Some people who were standing for election had promised to get rid of the stray dog problem, and activists claim that some of those who were elected may have tried to keep their promises by illegal and inhumane means.
If this is shown to be true, it would be a worrying example of public officials using unlawful and unkind methods to seem to be answering what voters are worried about. Finding the reason for this will be part of the police investigation and may affect how serious the charges are.
What this means, and what needs to be done
The fact that mass killings of dogs keep happening raises legal, public health, and moral questions. Poisoning and large-scale killing of animals creates risks for other animals, people, and the environment, and does not deal with the real reasons why there are stray dog populations – such as not enough vaccination, and breeding that is not controlled.
Animal welfare groups and people who are experts in public health suggest kind, scientifically-based steps: large-scale making animals unable to breed and vaccination drives, programmes to make the public aware, good management of waste, and clear rules for councils. Making cruelty laws stronger, and making elected officials responsible to the public, are also very important.
The investigations which are happening now will be a test of law enforcement and civic duty. Officials, activists, and people who live in the area must work together to stop any more violence, make sure animals are treated kindly, and put in place long-lasting solutions which protect both communities and stray animal populations.
