Mass culling of stray dogs has sharply increased everywhere. In a recent report by the Indian Express, over 150 stray dogs have been poisoned to death in Karnataka’s Belagutti village in Davangere district.
An FIR has been lodged against the Belagutti Gram Panchayat at Nyamathi Police Station.
The incident had taken place last Saturday, however, it came to light much later when people started posting videos of dogs dying. The videos caught the attention of an animal welfare organisation, Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA) Bengaluru, and they decided to take action.
Harish KB, an animal welfare officer, working with CUPA told The Indian Express:
“It was cruel beyond compare. The dogs were just piled up, they were not even buried properly. Most of them have decomposed due to the poison and only about 80 carcasses could be taken out for post-mortem. The panchayat has done this in an attempt to get rid of strays in the area.”
According to sources, the panchayat took such a step due to increasing number of stray dogs attacks on people as well as on cattle. Hanmanthappa, a sub-inspector at the Nyamathi Police Station, admitted to the culling, saying there were several cases of dog bites in the village.
However, the increase in the number of stray dogs can be better managed through sterilisation and birth control rather than such a cruel, cold-blooded practice.