THANE: In response to a news report saying that a community dog was cruelly killed and that Thane's Rabodi police filed an FIR against unknown people, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India is offering a reward of up to Rs 50,000 to anyone who provides information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for this savage killing.
"Anyone with information about the culprit(s) is urged to contact PETA India’s animal emergency helpline on +91 9820122602 or at Info@petaindia.org. The informer’s identity will be kept confidential upon request," said a PETA India member.
“We’re calling on anyone with information to come forward immediately to help dogs and humans – because, as psychologists warn, violent people often move on from abusing animals to humans,” said PETA India Lead Emergency Response Coordinator Deepak Chaudhary. “Sterilizing, vaccinating, and returning the dogs to their original area is the only humane, scientific, and legal means of addressing the issue of community dog overpopulation and preventing rabies.”
The 4-month-old puppy which had recently undergone medical treatment at Thane met with a gruesome death last week at the Castle Mill area. Activists of Citizens for Animal Protection Foundation have lodged an FIR at Rabodi police station against unknown persons for animal cruelty.
"After the medical treatment of the puppy, it was released back at its original spot at Masanwada, near Castle Mill area of Thane last Wednesday. However, the next day (Thursday) when our volunteer Atharva Prabhavale went back to the site to check the puppy, he was shocked to find the animal dead and its body partially burned and put inside a carton box. We have pictorial evidence of this cruelty," said Sushank Tomar of CAP Foundation.
He further added that initially the police was reluctant to file an FIR, but after the activists insisted that this was a case of animal cruelty, the complaint was lodged at Rabodi police station under section 429 of the Indian Penal Code and section 11(1)(a) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
The activists suspect that some animal haters from the nearby areas may have killed the puppy; and hence have urged the police to fully inquire into it and also check the CCTV camera footages.
Burning animals is a common violent crime that must be curbed. Research shows that people who commit acts of cruelty to animals are often repeat offenders who move on to hurting other animals, including humans. In a study of domestic violence victims, 60% of women said that their abusive partners had harmed or killed their dogs or other animals. According to statistics released by the National Crime Records Bureau, nearly 8,000 women are killed every year through “bride burning” after dowry-related disputes.