BENGALURU: Two years after 12 stray dogs were poisoned in BTM Layout Stage-2, a similar incident has come to light, wherein eight dogs were allegedly poisoned at MS Ramaiah City Layout in JP Nagar, on Sunday. Five dogs have died, while three others, including a pregnant one, are battling for life at a veterinary hospital in the city.
Caretakers of the dogs said that miscreants might have carried out the act in the night. Construction labourers in the area said they noticed two men coming to feed the dogs at 11 pm on Sunday, but didn’t reveal the identities of the miscreants. “These strays are like my pets. I feed them every day. I was shocked to see two of them lying dead on Monday morning, while three others were unable to move. The construction workers told me about the two men who had come last night to feed them,” said Shanthala B V, a resident of the area.
Shanthala and her family took the dogs to a nearby hospital. “After admitting them to the hospital, we called animal rescuers for help. We collected the food sample too - biryani and chicken. One dog died in the hospital.”
She added, “The miscreants had also hit the pregnant dog with a rod on its spine. We are not sure if she was poisoned too. Apart from the eight dogs, three others are missing and we need to locate them,” she said.
Dr Nagesh Reddy, senior veterinarian at Jeeva Pet Clinic, said, “The three dogs are in critical condition. After the report confirms what poison was used, we can treat them accordingly. For now, we are providing symptomatic treatment. The police are saying that the food samples will be sent to a forensic laboratory in Hyderabad.”
Praveen, an animal rescuer, said, “This is not the first time we are hearing about such cases. People poison dogs as they keep howling in the night, attack strangers or excrete at their doors.”
Harini Raghavan, an animal activist, said, “Bangalore South is known for having many dog lovers, and it is sad that such an incident has taken place here. Every now and then, dogs are either attacked, but no strict action has been taken so far. We want justice for them.”
A case has been filed at Putennahalli Police Station, where an investigating officer said, “We have started investigating, and will check CCTV camera footage nearby.”
Dr S Shashikumar, Joint Director (Animal Husbandry), BBMP, said, “We are aware of the case and a complaint has been filed. We will be following up on the case. The food sample will be sent to the forensic department.”
Meanwhile, the pregnant dog gave birth to a pup at 8pm on Monday, giving hope to the caretakers.