Andhra animal shelter turns graveyard for cattle, 30 starve to death

According to reports, officials found around 400 animals in a bad shape.
Andhra animal shelter turns graveyard for cattle, 30 starve to death
Andhra animal shelter turns graveyard for cattle, 30 starve to death
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In a shocking incident, around 30 cattle, including cows, starved to death at a shelter in Andhra Pradesh, as officials on Wednesday found their decomposed carcasses. 

The bodies were rotting away at the premises of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty towards Animals (SPCA) shelter at Kakinada in East Godavari district.

According to reports, officials found around 400 animals in a bad shape, living among the carcasses. 

Speaking to The Hindustan Times, joint director of animal husbandry V Venkateshwar Rao said, "We have recovered 14 carcasses of cattle believed to have died on Tuesday. Four more cattle died on Wednesday. There was no fodder and water at the centre and the cattle have apparently been starving for quite some time. The animals that survived were virtually in 'skin-to-bone' condition and were not even in a position to take intravenous fluids and injections. There was no attempt to clean the premises, which had knee-deep dung and slush. Heavy rains in the last two days made their condition worse."

Officials said that 10 to 12 animals had died earlier, and suspected that their carcasses were removed from the shed. 

However, the NGO has defended the move, stating that theirs was the biggest registered cattle shed in the two Godavari districts.

However, SPCA joint secretary SR Gopal told the Mumbai Mirror, "We do not have any financial support from the government to take care of 500 cattle...every day police hand over some cattle they detain on highways while being illegally transported from within the state or from the neighbouring states. We are totally dependent on donations."

"The cattle come here in a sick or bad health condition. Traders make them walk for hundreds of kilometers and starve them before shifting them to the slaughter houses. The already weak cattle could not withstand the cold and rain. How can we be held responsible for the death," he added.

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