From stabbing a stray dog for turning aggressive to “harassment” over feeding them, the Capital has reported at least three incidents in March alone, where canines have been brutally attacked even causing their death.
Last week, a stray dog sustained severe injuries on the abdomen after it was stabbed in east Delhi’s Kalyanpuri by unidentified persons. Police immediately rushed to the spot and first aid was provided through a veterinarian. A senior police officer said that the dog is currently recovering at a hospital.
Similarly, on March 14, a 28-year-old man stabbed a canine after the latter allegedly turned aggressive and tried to attack his daughter. He was subsequently arrested and booked under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, the police said.
Fit of rage
A senior police officer said that most of these incidents occurred when the dog turned aggressive on passers-by or their kin and the accused persons, in a fit of rage, assaulted them. “We book them under various sections of IPC and the PCA Act and it is a bailable offence,” the officer said.
On March 17, a 17-year-old boy thrashed an octogenarian to death after the latter’s dog allegedly barked at him in Najafgarh. Police said that the boy lost his cool and went to the deceased’s house to hit the dog with an iron rod. However, when the 85-year-old tried to confront him, the boy thrashed him.
An official from PETA India, while raising alarm at the spate of attacks on stray dogs in the city, said that as per statistics, they have seen that most dog bites are from companion dogs and not from strays. “Public often misinterprets play behaviour in dogs, which can include jumping and light biting as aggression… sometimes when dogs are competing to mate or trying to protect their puppies, fights between dogs may occur and often humans get caught in the middle,” the official said.
Earlier this year, 38 residents of a Mayur Vihar Society had filed a complaint asking the police to look into the deaths of four dogs within a span of three months within their locality. A senior officer said that a probe into the matter was being conducted but no case has been made out of it yet.
Feeding strays
Meanwhile, there have also been cases where people have been “harassed” over feeding stray dogs in their locality. In one such case, which was reported by The Hindu, a 34-year-old woman alleged “harassment” and “abuse” by her neighbours for feeding, sterilising and taking care of stray puppies. No FIR has been lodged in her case, even as a senior officer said that probe was still in progress.
A senior civic body official said that several teams, including members of NGO, are deployed after receiving complaints from a particular locality regarding attacks by dogs. “Most dogs are sterilised and anti-rabies vaccine is administered to them from time to time…we ensure that the population of dogs remains under control so that such attacks decrease,” the official said.
