Honorary animal welfare officer Pravallika said, “I had adopted all the 50 dogs in the community, vaccinated them and put them through birth-control procedures not to let their numbers increase.

Hyderabad: Fifty stray dogs were beaten up, prodded with sticks ruthlessly and shooed away by about 30 persons of a gated community, Sahara Estates in LB Nagar on Sunday. Some dogs bled profusely, yet the men went on with the atrocities, risking fatal injuries to the canines.

Honorary animal welfare officer Pravallika said, “I had adopted all the 50 dogs in the community, vaccinated them and put them through birth-control procedures not to let their numbers increase. Most of the residents barring a few animal lovers always shoo away the dogs, but today they took it too far. The act could have resulted in mass-killing of dogs.”

An animal cruelty complaint was filed at Vanasthalipuram police station. Police officials said they will enquire into the incident and see if the culprits were hired goons or residents of the community and others committed the cruelty.

“I informed the police as soon as I received the news from an animal lover from the community. Now even officials are witness to this heinous act,” Ms Pravallika said. The only reason why dogs choose to live in gated communities is because the garbage thrown out by residents becomes easy food for them, she said.