THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In the latest incident of rising animal cruelty in the state capital, a two-month-old puppy was brutally attacked by a person in Vattiyoorkavu. The man attacked the puppy sleeping next to its mother with a stick, leaving the animal with critical injuries, including a fractured jaw, and broken thigh and hip bones.
On Wednesday, the Vattiyoorkavu police registered a case against the man under Section 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and under Section 11 (1)(a) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. The incident happened around 8.45pm on Monday on the Mannarathala Balakrishnan Road in the residential area of Valiyavila in Vattiyoorkavu. Subsequently, one of his neighbours and the People For Animals (PFA), an NGO, lodged complaints at the Vattiyoorkavu police station.
“My mother witnessed the entire incident. The man attacked the puppy without any provocation. When I came out, I saw the dog in pain. It was crying and unable to close its mouth because of the broken jaw,” said Aravindan S S, who filed the complaint. Immediately after the incident, the dog was taken to a veterinarian.
“The attack was brutal and the injury is severe, and the dog needs a surgery. But given its poor condition, the doctor has ordered vaccination. They will be able to perform the surgery only after treating the infection,” Aravindan said.
Due to its broken jaw, the puppy is unable to eat. “The dog is unable to eat and we are trying to feed liquid food to keep it alive and healthy,” he said.
According to PFA, atrocities against animals are increasing in the state capital. The secretary of PFA Thiruvananthapuram, Latha Indira, said an incident of animal cruelty is being reported in the capital every other day.
“Seventy-five per cent of the cruelty cases involve stray dogs. Also, dog feeders are being harassed. Often, these issues escalate, necessitating police intervention,” Latha said.
A lack of awareness among the police personnel about animal rights and the existing laws that offer protection to animals is a major challenge, she pointed out. “The police often try to settle such cases through compromise and are hesitant to proceed with the case. This is leading to recurring violence against stray dogs and other hapless animals. We are forced to file our complaints along with the relevant legal sections as the police are unaware of it,” Latha said.