A horrifying case of animal abuse has surfaced in Hyderabad, and this time, the animal in question is not a stray but a house pet. A pet owner in Sanath Nagar has been booked for allegedly starving his dog to death. The case came to light when heart-rending pictures of the unconscious dog, seen tied up in a corner of the untidy balcony of their home, were shared on social media.
The family’s neighbours have alleged that they often warned the family and asked them to take care of their dog and make sure that it was well-fed, failing which they would lodge a complaint. They made repeated attempts to try and convince the owners. However, the family allegedly paid no heed and the dog died after it was left alone without food for nine days.
The neighbours, who continuously heard the animal’s barks and whimpers, tried to throw down food in the form of bread and biscuits to the dog tied up in the balcony. After a few days, however, around 19th November, the dog stopped barking. This is when the neighbours decided to take to social media to seek help and tagged members of the Humane Society International (HSI) India.
“The neighbours noticed that the dog was lying down in the corner and wasn’t moving,” Sanjana Rao, who works at HSI (India), told TNM.
Humane Society International India member Teja Panneru was tagged in the social media post and they decided to visit the scene. The dog, unfortunately, was found dead. Teja lodged a complaint with the Sanath Nagar police. The police registered an FIR on November 21 against G Ramakrishna, the owner of the dog, under Section 429 of the Indian Penal Code (Mischief by killing or maiming cattle etc. of any value or any animal of the value of Rs 50), five days after the case was brought to the public’s notice and went viral.
“This case is a grim reminder of the lack of accountability in pet ownership in the country today. The GHMC should ensure that when licenses are being handed out for pets, the licensing system involves responsible pet ownership,” Teja said. “We hope that the police will take this case forward and ensure that the perpetrators are punished.”