150 dogs dead at Hyderabad: NGO files complaint against GHMC birth control centre

Hyderabad: Animal rights activists caught Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation staff red handed after around 150 dogs that had been poisoned and were being taken in the municipal van at an isolated place near Nagole in Hyderabad on Friday.

An animal welfare activist Panneru Teja of Old Nallakunta in Hyderabad has filed a petition against GHMC run Animal birth control center (ABC) located at Nagole. In the petition filed with Rachakonda police, Teja alleged that the culling of over 200 dogs was done by the officers of the veterinary department, animal husbandry wing of Telangana. He added that the dogs were killed at an ABC centre located at Puttalaguda, Nagole as their volunteers found the bodies. Teja revealed that few of the dogs were still alive and asked for immediate veterinary help from a certified veterinary officer. The activist alleged that the dogs were poisoned by an injection as the GHMC van took the bodies and dumped them at a dump yard near Vanasthalipuram.

In the wirtten complaint it was further alleged that the act of GHMC is a violation of the provisions of Prevention of Cruelty Act 1960. Section 11(1) of the act makes beating, kicking, treating any animal to unnecessary pain and suffering is a criminal offence. Activists demanded a postmortem to be carried out in the presence of independent veterinary doctors not employed or contracted in any manner to the veterinary department and asked for an impartial probe at the earliest. The LB Nagar police of Rachakonda Police commissionarate have received the petition and will investigate the case further.

Speaking to Newsmeter, 'Humane Society International' representative said, “ We are working on the issue in tandem with Blue Cross. The investigation is going on, and Blue Cross has written a letter to the director of the animal husbandry department of Telangana with a request to form a panel including independent veterinarians to carry out the post mortem of these dogs.”