MUMBAI: Worried animal activists have lodged an FIR at Dahisar police station on Saturday, after six healthy and sterilized dogs mysteriously disappeared from a housing society recently.
Dahisar based activist Anu Mehta has lodged the police complaint, pointing fingers at a dog pickup van belonging to another animal NGO which had allegedly taken the six dogs from Giriraj cooperative housing society in Dahisar (east) on February 5 and 6.
"Some of the animal welfare workers who have been looking from the six missing dogs, spoke to the residents of Giriraj housing society who clearly stated that the pickup van on Universal Animal Welfare Society, which is from Malad, had come to Dahisar to pick up the sterilized dogs which are now missing. Hence, an FIR was lodged so that the police can further inquire into this matter and trace the missing dogs,'' said another concerned animal activist.
However, when TOI contacted the head of Universal Animal Welfare Society, Dr Hanumant Shelke, he flatly denied sending his van to take away the dogs. "We only pick up those dogs which require sterilization operations to be done. Hence, we have also stated to Dahisar police in this regard that our pickup van has not taken away these already sterilized dogs. Perhaps if the CCTV recordings of the housing society can be seen, it will be known as to who took those six dogs," said Dr Hanumant Shelke.
Dahisar police has registered the FIR for animal cruelty under section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and section 119 of the Bombay Police Act, 1951. Further investigation is on in this regard.
"Some of the local animal lovers are also ready to give their eyewitness account on this issue, as it is certainly cruel and illegal to dislocate healthy and sterilized dogs. Most of these missing mutes were quite friendly as well. We are all disturbed and worried as to where they are now and in what situation,'' said an animal welfare worker.
An official of Bombay Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BSPCA) has also recently visited Giriraj housing society where some of the residents narrated their oral statements on the missing dogs matter.
Dahisar based activist Anu Mehta has lodged the police complaint, pointing fingers at a dog pickup van belonging to another animal NGO which had allegedly taken the six dogs from Giriraj cooperative housing society in Dahisar (east) on February 5 and 6.
"Some of the animal welfare workers who have been looking from the six missing dogs, spoke to the residents of Giriraj housing society who clearly stated that the pickup van on Universal Animal Welfare Society, which is from Malad, had come to Dahisar to pick up the sterilized dogs which are now missing. Hence, an FIR was lodged so that the police can further inquire into this matter and trace the missing dogs,'' said another concerned animal activist.
However, when TOI contacted the head of Universal Animal Welfare Society, Dr Hanumant Shelke, he flatly denied sending his van to take away the dogs. "We only pick up those dogs which require sterilization operations to be done. Hence, we have also stated to Dahisar police in this regard that our pickup van has not taken away these already sterilized dogs. Perhaps if the CCTV recordings of the housing society can be seen, it will be known as to who took those six dogs," said Dr Hanumant Shelke.
Dahisar police has registered the FIR for animal cruelty under section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and section 119 of the Bombay Police Act, 1951. Further investigation is on in this regard.
"Some of the local animal lovers are also ready to give their eyewitness account on this issue, as it is certainly cruel and illegal to dislocate healthy and sterilized dogs. Most of these missing mutes were quite friendly as well. We are all disturbed and worried as to where they are now and in what situation,'' said an animal welfare worker.
An official of Bombay Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BSPCA) has also recently visited Giriraj housing society where some of the residents narrated their oral statements on the missing dogs matter.
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