THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: On Monday, around 10am, three people from Adimalathura here brutally beat a nine-year-old labrador dog to death. The dog, Bruno, owned by G Christhurajan, is said to have been resting near one of the fishing boats berthed on the coast when the trio caught hold of the animal, hung him on a fisher’s hook and thrashed him mercilessly, while simultaneously recording a video of their own brutality. One of the three continued to beat the dog even after he died, and his body was subsequently thrown into the sea.
“We filed a complaint on Tuesday. But as no action was taken even on Wednesday, I posted the video I received of the incident on Facebook hoping someone would intervene,” says Christhurajan. The video went on to spark widespread outrage on social media platforms. By Wednesday evening, after the video went viral, the perpetrators and their family arrived at his house and threatened to kill the whole family if they were to pursue the issue, he says. “Bruno has been with us for eight years. I got him when he was just a year old. He was well-loved. I will never get another dog,” he says.
According to Christurajan, it is routine for Bruno to go and play on the beach now and then. “He was a very friendly dog. I can’t understand why they did this,” he says. Cruelty against animals in the state has been on the rise of late, says animal welfare organisation People for Animals (PFA) which has intervened in the issue.
“The family that lost the dog was scared after a bevvy of people along with the culprits went to their house and threatened to kill them if they went ahead with a police complaint,” says Sreedevi Kartha, PFA trust board member of Thiruvananthapuram unit.
According to Sreedevi, the pandemic period has seen many people taking out their frustration on animals by inflicting pain on the poor creatures. “The number of pets being abandoned on the streets has also increased,” she points out. The animal welfare organisation will go ahead with the case if the family withdraws the complaint, she adds.