GUNTUR: About 50 stray dogs were poisoned to death allegedly by panchayat officials at Haffpet village in Tenali mandal on Sunday. The carcasses of dogs were dumped in a pit on the village outskirts after taking them in a truck.
Having learnt about the killing of stray dogs en masse, Help for Animals Society secretary A Tejovanth rushed to the spot.
He found that more than 50 dogs were caught and killed by ‘administering cyanide’.
Later, he lodged a complaint with Tenali rural police against poisoning of dogs, which was a blatant violation of animal rights and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
Tejovanth stated that he came to know from local people that the panchayat secretary asked the staff to catch and kill the stray dogs in the village.
He further stated that stray dogs should be sterilised to control their population. But they should not be killed.
He demanded stern action against those involved in the killing of stray dogs by administering poison.
Tenali rural police said some people of Haffpet village submitted a petition to the officials during the Spandana programme about stray dog menace.
They stated that stray dogs posed a threat to children and pedestrians.
Following the complaint, the panchayat authorities caught the dogs and killed them by administering poison to end the menace.
Tenali Rural Circle Inspector A Ashok Babu said that they are yet to register a case though they received a complaint pertaining to killing of stray dogs.
“We are seeking legal opinion to proceed further related to the complaint against killing of stray dogs,” the Circle Inspector said.