1,000 stray dogs killed in Telangana in 30 days: Mass killings of canines continue as 200 more poisoned to death. What's behind the brutal cull?

In a fresh incident of alleged stray dogs killing in Telangana, around 200 dogs were allegedly poisoned to death at Pathipaka village in Hanumakonda district with at least 1,000 canines killed in the state in a month. According to a report in news agency PTI, the mass killings of dogs in Telangana are allegedly carried out by some elected representatives, including Sarpanchs, to fulfil promises made to villagers ahead of gram panchayat elections held in December last year, to address the stray dog menace.

Animal welfare activists lodged a complaint with the police saying that around 200 stray dogs were brutally killed about one month ago in Pathipaka village of Shayampet mandal by administering poisonous injections allegedly on the orders of Gram Panchayat Secretary. Though the incident took place last month, it came to light on January 25 after locals tipped them off about the dogs being buried at a site close to the village, reports TOI's Nirupa Vatyam.

“I received information that 200 stray dogs were killed in Pathipaka village, Shayampeta mandal, one month ago. On Monday, I visited the village along with other members of the Stray Animal Foundation of India (SAFI). We enquired with villagers about the mass killing, and some stated that dogs were brutally killed on orders of the local panchayat secretary. We learned that the dead bodies were buried at a specific site, which we confirmed. Hence, we approached the police and requested an FIR against the panchayat secretary and those hired to execute the killings,” said SAFI's A Goutam told the Deccan Herald.


This is the second such incident reported this month from villages falling under the Shayampet police station limits. Earlier, on January 9, police registered an FIR following a complaint alleging that around 300 dogs were killed in a similar manner in Arepally village, located in the same area, according to TOI.

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Mass killings of dogs continue in Telangana

On January 24, PTI reported that about 300 canines were allegedly killed in Jagtial district of Telangana, animal activists claimed. As per the complaint lodged by animal rights activists, 100 dogs were allegedly poisoned to death at Yacharam village on January 19, though 50 carcasses were found immediately.

"Since both the cases fall under our jurisdiction, as is suspected to have been executed by the same people, we have decided to make changes to the earlier FIR and add details of the latest case," Jakkula Parameshwar, SI, Shayampet police station told Times of India, adding that the dog carcasses will be retrieved and sent for post mortem examination on Tuesday.

What is behind the mass killings of dogs in Telangana?

Animal welfare activists suspect that during the recent panchayat elections, several candidates promised voters they would eliminate perceived threats from stray dogs and monkeys. While monkeys are typically captured and relocated to nearby forests, activists allege that some newly elected sarpanches have instead hired professionals to poison stray dogs.

According to these claims, the animals are injected with poison using syringes while they are asleep, causing death within minutes, after which the carcasses are buried on the outskirts of villages. The alleged operators reportedly charge around ₹500 per dog, a fee that includes both poisoning and disposal.

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Police had booked village sarpanch, secretary and others under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act in Telangana's Arepally. "We were informed about these killings on Sunday. We suspect that these dogs too were killed by administering lethal injections. We went to the site where they were buried and registered a complaint with the police after the visit," Goutham Adulapuram of Stray Animal Foundation India told TOI. He added that they also interacted with the locals to understand the motive behind these killings. "It looks like this too was ordered by gram panchayat officials to fulfil poll promises," he added.

In another incident, around 200 stray dogs were allegedly killed in Kamareddy district, and a case was booked against six people, including five village sarpanches, for their alleged involvement in the incident. So far this month, more than 1,000 dogs have allegedly been killed across Telangana. The accused reportedly include several sarpanches and ward members who, according to complainants, had promised to tackle the stray dog and monkey menace during their campaigns for the recently concluded gram panchayat elections. Incidents of mass killings have been reported from Kamareddy, Jagtial, Hanumakonda and Ranga Reddy districts.

(With TOI inputs)