After hitting headlines for feasting on elephant meat, people in Mizoram are now being vilified for trying to slaughter more than three-dozen dogs for meat.

A total of 36 dogs were rescued on June 9 by the members of Humane Society International/India from Aizawl.

After the additional district judge at Aizawl rejected the petition of the Aizawl Dog Meat Seller Association, and the HSI/India has now been awarded custody of 36 dogs rescued hours before their slaughter.

The court said the dogs would continue to remain under the custody and care of HSI/India while the litigation is pending.

The dogs were rescued from horrific conditions, tied in gunny bags and dumped on top of one another.

While one of the dogs the dogs died in police custody, the rest, are now recovering from infections, injured limbs and trauma in HSI/India’s care.

“We are fortunate to save the lives of the 36 dogs and hope that they can soon be adopted by good people,” N G Jayasimha, managing director HSI India, said.

With total care and veterinary support, HSI/India has transported the rescued dogs to Mumbai, Pune and Kochi for adoption.

Jayasimha said they are delighted that the court rejected the dog meat sellers’ application for custody.

Dog meat consumption in India is illegal, and the way the trade is carried out is cruel, the HSI/India official said.

“We cannot imagine that human beings can be so cruel to slaughter dogs for meat,” Nandita Apte, a housewife in Pune, said.

Like Apte, more than five-dozen people in Mumbai, Pune and Kochi have shown keen interest to adopt the dogs rescued from the butchers in Mizoram.

“We are shocked to find that people of Mizoram have no love for dogs,” Ranjan Achrekar, animal rights activist in Mumbai said.

People in Mizoram were recently criticised by animal rights activists across India for feasting on the meat of an elephant.

A 47-year-old captive elephant, Laxmi, died near the Kanhmun Forest Range in Mamit district of west Mizoram.

And, in a most bizarre occurrence, the body of the dead elephant was sliced, and the meat was distributed and consumed openly by the villagers.

The Ministry of Environment and Forest has served a notice to the Mizoram Forest Department to clarify as how the elephant died, and how it allowed people to feast on the meat.