THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: People for Animals (PFA), the largest animal welfare organisation in the country, has accused forest department officials, who stay in the Social Forestry Complex at PTP Nagar here, of poisoning sterilised and vaccinated stray dogs in the children’s park.
Animals like monkeys, peacocks, rabbits and jackals who frequent the adjoining area to the complex are equally vulnerable, alleged the organisation.
The Social Forestry Complex organises department-level refresher courses. There are 45 families staying in 12 blocks, with each block housing up to six families. Sreedevi S Kartha, member of PFA, alleged that a female stray dog on Friday died at the children’s park after consuming food laced with pesticides.
“A few days earlier, a puppy too had died in a similar fashion. The officials who stay in the quarters feed the stray dogs and kill them one by one so that nobody will suspect anything,” Sreedevi S Kartha told The New Indian Express.
However, B N Nagaraj, an estate officer with the forest department, denied the allegations. He told The New Indian Express that a security personnel had informed him about a sick stray dog roaming around, following which he summoned a veterinarian. Unfortunately, it could not be saved.
“It is an office-cum-residential complex. Some families had been feeding stray dogs, which was objected to by other residents. What if these stray dogs turn violent?” said Nagaraj.
PFA will approach Vattiyoorkavu police station, where the postmortem of the dog will be carried out.