KADAPA: A 26-year-old software engineer from Proddatur in YSR district, and working in Bengaluru, has taken up a battle against the municipal authorities over her missing pet dog. Prajwala lodged a complaint with the Proddatur III-Town police against the civic body officials, alleging that they translocated her pet along with other stray dogs in her locality to the Rajampet forest.
Subsequently, Circle Inspector T Narayana Yadav registered a case under Sections 11(1) (A) of the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and served memos to Proddatur municipal commissioner Venkata Ramaiah, ward secretariat welfare secretary Nagamani, ward volunteer Dharani and sanitary inspector Subbarayudu.
In her complaint, the techie said her pet had gone missing on June 27, following which she reached Prodattur and began enquiring about the dog. She learnt that the municipal authorities had allegedly caught her pet along with other strays in the locality and released them into the forest.
Prajwala explained that a ward welfare and sanitary officer had informed her that the civic officials had taken away four dogs in response to a complaint regarding stray dog menace received during the Spandana grievance programme.
The complaint was reportedly filed by a resident, identified as Ravishankar Raja, from the same locality.
Later, she even filed a complaint with former Union minister and chairperson of People for Animals Maneka Gandhi.
The animals rights activist took up the matter with district collector Vijaya Rama Raju and superintendent of police KKN Anburajan. However, as there was no response from the authorities, Prajwala registered a police case on July 3.
Techie to take legal course for her pet dog
“The police denied to share the FIR copy with me and three days later, they persistently pressured me to make changes into the complaint. CI T Narayana Yadav registered a case only after the suggested modifications were made in my complaint,” she said.
Questioning the officials on how they could take such an action without conducting any inquiry, Prajwala pointed out, “As per norms, authorities are only entitled to catch stray dogs, perform animal birth control (ABC) operations and release them into the same locality. The civic body is not authorised to shift the strays from residential areas to forests.”
The techie asserted that she will go to any extent, even take legal course if her dog and the other strays are not traced. She alleged that the authorities had poisoned the dogs to death.