EZHUPUNNA: It’s sleepless nights for 74-year-old Joy Karuvally of Ezhupunna panchayat, ever since his eight-year-old Alsatian pet dog Kukku was found dead with stab injuries on February 3. Joy is now worried about the safety of his other pet dog Kuttapi, after five other pet dogs in the panchayat and neighbouring Kodumthuruthy panchayat were found mysteriously stabbed to death in the past two weeks. According to locals, a dog was found dead on the road with a stab injury on Monday. Though a manhunt has been launched to nab the culprit, the officials could so far only get a visual from a nearby CCTV camera that shows a man scaling the compound wall of a house holding a rod. While a few people of the panchayat have shifted their pet dogs to safe locations, in a twist of fate, others are keeping guard over their ‘guard dogs’ at night to ensure their safety.
“Kukku was with us for the past eight years. We used to chain her in front of the house at night. Someone stabbed her on the neck with a knife,” said Joy, looking at a kennel he was constructing for Kukku and Kuttapi. Della Joy, another family member, said they now bring Kuttapi inside the house at night, fearing for its life.
Mercy of Chakkinattu house in the same panchayat said it was a few days ago that they saw a stab wound on the stomach of their pet dog. “Initially, we thought our dog might have picked a fight with another dog. Though we gave it some first aid treatment, it died two days later,” Mercy said.
Mercy’s neighbour Kunjumon, who has a pet dog named Kaizer, said he stays awake all night these days to guard his dog. “I am living in a two-room house and we do not have enough space to accommodate Kaizer,” he said.
It’s all the same for Daisy Prasad and Joseph P D, two other pet owners in the panchayat. Daisy Prasad, who has a German Shepherd, thinks a psycho might be behind the killings. “Ruby is our beloved, If anything happens to her, we won’t be able to bear it,” she said. Joseph said he has three dogs. “I keep them in a kennel,” he said.
Ezhupunna panchayat president Shyamala Kumari said they have taken the matter seriously. “The police have deployed night patrolling teams in the area. We have formed squads with local residents to keep watch in the area,” she said. Aroor police said they have registered a case in connection with the incident.