Allegations of mass killings of street dogs have shaken Telangana, with around 500 canines reportedly poisoned in the past week across Kamareddy and Hanamkonda districts, allegedly to fulfill promises made during recent gram panchayat elections, according to PTI.
Animal welfare activist Adulapuram Goutham filed a complaint on January 12, claiming that dogs were systematically killed in villages including Bhavanipet, Palwancha, Faridpet, Wadi, and Bandarameshwarapally. He alleged that the killings were carried out under the instructions of local sarpanches, with dogs administered poisonous injections. Locals reported finding several carcasses dumped near temples, which were later exhumed by veterinary teams for post-mortem examinations.
Police have registered cases against six individuals, including five sarpanches and a hired executor, Kishore Pandhey. Notices have been issued, and viscera samples sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory to determine the cause of death and type of poison used. Earlier in January, similar cases in Hanamkonda involved the alleged poisoning of 300 street dogs in Shayampet and Arepally villages.
Sources claim that some elected representatives carried out the killings to fulfill pre-election promises to tackle stray dog and monkey issues. No official comment has been received from the accused sarpanches or village officials.
The incidents come as the Supreme Court expressed concern over poor implementation of stray animal management norms, noting failures in enforcing ABC (Animal Birth Control) rules. The bench indicated that states could be directed to pay compensation in dog-bite cases and held dog feeders accountable, emphasizing that the lifelong effects of dog bites must be considered.
