Two months after a neighbourhood dog was beaten up and lost an eye in a savage midnight incident in Malad, the man who had attacked the animal has been arrested and charged with cruelty.

The Malad police named the attacker as Vishal Jadhav, who works as a driver, but has the reputation of a goon. He has been booked under sections 428 and 11 of the Indian Penal Code, which is punishable with a jail term of up to two years or a fine.

The dog is being looked after by a local resident.

The police action is the culmination of the efforts of Saurabh Edwanker, an animal welfare officer, and Jalaj Kalra of People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta), who persisted with the case.

“We filed a complaint shortly after the incident on November 5, but the police did not register an FIR. In January, Peta intervened in the matter and got the cops to file an FIR on the basis of news reports and evidence that is essential in the case,” said Edwanker.

Now, the police have assured them that while the offence is bailable, they will prepare a charge sheet soon so that court proceedings can be initiated quickly.

Jadhav attacked the dog with a cricket stump near Daruwala compound after the animal apparently barked at him. Gopal, the name by which the residents call the dog, suffered a broken nose and lost the right eye.

“It is imperative that in the face of such abuse the community takes steps to find and stop the culprits. Animal abusers are a potential danger to everyone, whether animals or human beings,” said Kalra.