Punishable offence

Five dogs were reportedly tortured within 48 hrs, 4 from the same areaIn a sheer act of sadism, a few stray dogs were brutally tortured in Mangaluru within a span of 48 hours. According to a recent complaint lodged by the animal welfare volunteers, four dogs were brutally beaten in VT Road near Car Street. One dog was saved by a volunteer in the nick of time before miscreants were about to pour petrol on the hound near Tannir Bhavi.Speaking to Bangalore Mirror, Suma Nayak, Trustee Animal Care Trust and animal welfare officer, said, “We received two calls on Friday and Saturday and rescued four dogs. It was shocking to see these dogs were beaten up so badly that their hind legs are paralysed. They could not lift their heads. They also broken spines. All the four dogs picked up from the same locality and were found in the same condition.” These dogs were later treated by the volunteer vets.In another incident reported on Sunday, three security guards reportedly tortured another dog. “The perpetrators dragged the hind legs of a dog and put a string around its neck. Once they did that, one of them went to get petrol to pour on the creature. We were lucky that the dog was spotted by a volunteer who immediately rescued it. I will be visiting the place for spot inspection today”, she said.Suma also observed that this year there has been an increase in cases of cat and dog poisoning. “Five cases of cat poisoning from various parts of the city were reported while four dogs have died,” she added.Violence against animals is an offence, according to the Indian law. The accused can be punished under section 428 and 429 of the Indian Penal Code as well as Section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act.IIn a growing trend, people, especially in the Puttur, Vittal and Sullia belt of Dakshina Kannada, have started placing bottles on the verandah to prevent the stray dogs from defecating in front of their houses. Rashid Vittal, a social worker, said, “We have been keeping bottle from the past three years. Initially, the dogs would not come, but now they have started coming.The practice came from Kerala.”There is however, no scientific evidence behind the action. Deputy Director Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Department Dr Tippeswamy said, “We are not aware of such a trend. We do not know about the scientific studies undertaken in this regard.”