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The stray dogs were rounded up and kept in this cage for two days, where one of the pups died (left)

Bengaluru

Residents claim that these dogs were released somewhere near Jigani. About 50 strays from the area have gone missing but residents claim to have relocated only 27 – KB Harish, animal welfare officer

A resident took these pictures of the dogs and the vehicles and alerted CUPA

dog meat

By Pragna L KrupaResidents of an apartment complex in Chandapura are in theafter they decided to ‘eliminate’ strays from their area. The resident welfare association of VBHV apartments on Anekal Road hired an agency based in Tamil Nadu and paid it Rs 600 per dog to take the– most of them– to another area so that they could be spared the incessant barking at night. These residents claim they were also scared that the puppies might harm their children.But with the intervention of someand slightly more humane residents, the association now faces a criminal charge and a daunting task – Anekal police have asked them to show proof where the dogs have been relocated. And the association members have been given time till Friday to do that.But animal welfare officer KB Harish, who arrived at the scene after a resident called up CUPA (Compassion Unlimited Plus Action), fears that the dogs may have met a far worse fate – they could have been slaughtered and the meat could have reached mutton stalls dotting the city.Harish said that he received the call about the operation around 5.30 pm on Monday. He alerted the police before rushing to the spot along with a team of animal lovers and volunteers.“By the time we reached the spot, the vehicles had already left. We collected all the evidence and filed a complaint with the police. Residents are claiming that these dogs were released somewhere near Jigani. About 50 strays from the area have gone missing but the residents are claiming that they have relocated only 27 of them. We suspect that these dogs ended up in the meat trade.”Curiously, the two vehicles – one with a BruhatMahanagara Palike sticker – that were involved in the operation are both registered in Karnataka. And the Vahan database says that both of them (KA-19-C-5948 and KA-51-B-2018) are registered in multiple RTOs). A BBMP official said they are investigating who caught the strays.Harish said that the Anekal incident may be unique but it is not an isolated case. A lot many strays have gone missing and no one knows where they are ending up. “Last month, about 70 dogs went missing in HSR Layout. They could have been killed and supplied to hotels and small mutton outlets,” he said.The whistleblower who informed CUPA said that the dogs were very friendly and most of them were puppies. “Even the children from the apartment used to play with these strays but parents who didn’t want their children to play with the dogs as they were afraid that they would attack them decided to get rid of them. The guards here used to beat them with canes and even threw stones at them to keep them away from the apartment. The association had called up the dog catching agency who caught these dogs using canes and ropes. Most of them were severely injured and all of them were kept in cages out in the rain for two days. On Tuesday, I took photos and videos which I shared with animal lovers and tried to get their help. One of the puppies even died inside the cage,” she said.Animal experts say that even if the dogs didn’t end up in the slaughterhouse, relocation deals a deathly blow to them.“Since dogs are territorial animals, they will never adjust to a different territory easily. Every pack has a leader who would never allow any other dog from another pack. Packs are formed from territories. When a dog is changed from one territory to another, there will be a lot of dog fights. These fights will make the dogs troublesome and they could people on the streets. Relocation of dogs is an illegal act according to the Supreme Court. Despite that people have been relocating dogs. For instance, there have been certain software companies and IT parks who give money to BBMP to relocate dogs after vaccination and return only five out of 10. The relocated dogs are left at the outskirts of Bengaluru where we hear a lot about dog biting cases,” said Amruth S Hiranya, who studied dog psychology in New Zealand, and is now back in Bengaluru.The Anekal police have registered a case against Harish M, assistant property manager, and the VBHV association under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, IPC section 429 (Mischief by killing or maiming cattle) along with other relevant IPC sections. The association members have been asked to appear before the police for questioning.Reports ofbeing supplied to traders have made the rounds in the past – first in Kolkata where rotten meat laced with chemicals was being supplied to various places in the country; and then 1,100 kg of what was suspected to be dog meat was discovered in Chennai’s Egmore station. It later turned out to be mutton. However, in Kolkata the police had said that the rotten meat had been procured from dumping grounds where all kinds of carcasses could be found.