Animal Cruelty On The Rise in City! ‘Man’s Best Friend’ Shot Dead in Shivabagh in City

Animal Cruelty On The Rise in City! ‘Man’s Best Friend’ Shot Dead in Shivabagh in City

Mangaluru: As a pet owner of five dogs, I am very much saddened by the news that an innocent stray dog has been shot dead using an air-gun and that too in a posh neighbourhood of Shivabagh near Kadri in the City. Which person would do such a horrible thing, that too to a “Man’s Best friend”? Either that person is completely inhuman or hates stray or other pet animals. This act is very malicious and cruel to kill an innocent dog. The post mortem of the dog done at a vet clinic revealed that the dog was shot using an airgun, based on the bullet they found. Animal activist and Volunteer with Animal Care Trust, Mangaluru Mrs Suma Nayak has filed a case in the police station and has also requested that anyone who has any clue as to who might have committed this brutal act should call Kadri East Police Station or Animal Care Trust.

Let us expect and hope towards getting justice for the voiceless animal, which was killed for no fault. One thing that we people should realise is that all dogs, whether they are stray, community or pet dogs have rights and are protected by law. Moreover, there are activists who will ensure these laws are enforced and necessary action taken. If they think there are no repercussions or consequences to such brutal acts, they are terribly mistaken! If found guilty it’s imprisonment for 5 years! A dog is a living being and their lives matter!

If at all this stray dog was a nuisance, or for any other reason, but taking such a cruel step to kill the innocent dog is a very malicious and cruel act, which needs to be condemned and serious action should be taken by the Court. Killing an animal is similar to killing a human being because both have lives. It’s true that the stray dog menace is increasing day by day in Mangaluru too, and even though it’s not publicized, there are dog biting cases coming to Wenlock hospital regularly- and no officials from the Animal Control Board nor the District Administration nor Mangaluru city corporation had taken any preventive measures to such issues.

The increasing stray dog menace in cities leaves us with a bloody reminder every now and then but it’s back to square one in a distressingly short time. It is the duty of the civic agencies to curb dog populations through humane birth control measures. But it does not seem to be working-the Supreme Court has said as much. The authorities cannot simply pass the buck to animal rights activists- the activists are doing the best they can, but the involvement of officials of civic agencies is also a must in tackling the stray dogs’ menace. And it’s also the duty of the citizens, as much as it is of the MCC, to ensure roadsides are not turned into festering garbage dumps, offering strays a feast of leftovers.

It is also learnt that Mangaluru not having many independent houses, and pet lovers who love to have a pet, adopt stray puppies so that they can be accommodated in the apartment space, but once the puppy turns into a grown-up dog, it is left on the street- thus adding the number to the stray dog population. Such citizens should not be considered pet lovers. Why even bother to adopt a pup if you can’t take care of it when it grows up? Anyone being cruel or killing an animal, such an act is a violation of section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act-1960, sections 426, 429 of the Indian Penal code and section 93 of the Karnataka Police Act.

Now coming back to the killing of this innocent stray dog by this “Cruel Person”  is a case of a malicious act. One journal has listed other potential reasons why people are actively cruel to animals: To enhance the animal’s aggression; To shock people for their own amusement; To get revenge on someone; To use pets as a way to control partners in an abusive relationship; They are suffering from a psychological disorder. But the journal doesn’t emphasize that there hadn’t been a lot of research into the area of animal abuse. But what led this person to take such a cruel step in shooting the dog will only be known when he or she is caught.

But this dog killing incident happening in a nice and posh Shivabagh area is very, very upsetting. It is very difficult to determine why someone would kill a dog, and it makes me “hard to understand why it happened. It could be some people are frightened of dogs or some people just don’t like dogs, and “their very existence can upset some people”. It could also be because of personal grudges. It’s a way to get back at someone, to hurt them in some way. While animal activists in Mangaluru and surrounding areas say that these stray dogs are kind, calm and friendly with strangers. But really a tragic end to this innocent “Man’s Best Friend ” to face from a CRUEL PERSON? Hope this person is caught soon and made to face all the consequences.