Over 100 stray dogs were allegedly poisoned in a Rangareddy village, triggering outrage, police action and renewed scrutiny of illegal animal culling practices in Telangana
Animal lovers and activists are once again up in arms after around 100 stray dogs were allegedly poisoned to death in Yacharam village in Rangareddy district, roughly 50 km from Hyderabad. The incident comes just days after reports of over 500 stray dogs killed across Telangana.
According to a complaint filed by Mudavath Preethi of the Stray Animal Foundation of India, the killings happened on January 19 and involved drugging the dogs. Police have now booked the village sarpanch and two others—a ward member and the village secretary—under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
Conflicting stories raise eyebrows
What started as a missing-dogs mystery got more troubling the more activists dug into it. Initially, one village official told an animal rights worker that the dogs had been “relocated.” But when another activist spoke to the same person later, the story changed: the dogs had allegedly received anaesthesia injections.
“During a phone conversation with animal welfare activist Deepika Pingali, a ward member claimed that the dogs were relocated. Later, however, when another activist, Adulapuram Goutham, spoke to the same ward member, he said that the dogs were administered anaesthesia injections,” Preethi’s complaint noted.
Villagers then told activists that the dogs were actually given poisonous injections, which ultimately led to their deaths.
The authorities say they are taking the allegations seriously but have not yet located the dog carcasses. “We are investigating the case thoroughly. Efforts are also underway to track down where the dog carcasses have been buried,” said A Nandeshwar Reddy, the SHO of Yacharam police station, as quoted by the Times of India.
Animal rights activists suspect professional “dog killers” may have been hired—similar to what was reported in other Telangana districts like Kamareddy, Hanamkonda, and Jagtial, where lethal injections were allegedly used in earlier mass killings.
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