Mass Dog Poisoning At Mahindra Antheia Society In Pimpri: At Least 3 Dead, Case Registered
A case has been registered at the Sant Tukaram Nagar Police Station against an unidentified person after mass dog poisoning was reported at Mahindra Antheia Society in Pimpri, officials said on Tuesday.
According to animal activists, 11 strays on the society premises were fed food laced with poison by unknown people. Three of them have died, and the medical condition of others is serious, they added.
Manish Singh, an animal lover and resident of the society, saw several stray dogs suffering from vomiting, diarrhoea and lethargy. The unwell dogs were immediately taken to a veterinary clinic in Kalewadi. There, they were given antidotes and other medicines.
"The housing society has a huge campus, and it is difficult to identify how many dogs have fallen ill and how many have died. A police complaint has been lodged,” he added.
Padmini Stump, an animal activist and founder of Mission Possible Foundation, took to Facebook and urged all animal lovers "to help seek justice for these murdered voiceless victims."
"The murder of dogs was thoroughly planned and executed. The killers were aware that the police would be busy due to Babasaheb Ambedkar Jayanti, hospitals would be closed and roads would be crowded. Hence, it will be difficult to get anything done for the murdered voiceless souls," she added.
Stump also claimed that a resident of the society, who has been feeding stray dogs for the past few years, has been harassed and physically assaulted by some society members. "The situation has now escalated dangerously — in a cruel and illegal act, poison was allegedly given to the community stray dogs. Several innocent, healthy dogs who have lived peacefully in society for years are now suffering and fighting for their lives. This is not only an act of grave cruelty under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act but also a criminal offence under Section BNS 325," she wrote.
The activist demanded police action against the individuals responsible for the incident, protection for the feeder as per Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) guidelines, strict enforcement of animal protection laws within the society, and medical treatment for the affected dogs.
The police complaint states that the incident happened between 10:30pm on April 13 and 8:30am on April 14.
Meanwhile, according to a report in HT, some residents of the society had approached the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s (PCMC) veterinary department a few days ago and complained about the stray menace. “They made a verbal complaint stating that senior citizens are being attacked by stray dogs, and it is unsafe for kids to play in the open,” a civic official told HT on the condition of anonymity.
The police are further investigating the case.
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