20 stray dogs found dead in Pune

Twenty stray dogs were found dead in Mhada Colony in Vimannagar area on Thursday, raising apprehensions among residents that the dogs were poisoned.While the staff manning the pick-up van of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) confirmed they took away eight dead dogs, witnesses claimed there were about 20.The residents fear that the vomit of the dogs could affect their children, who play in the open. Activists of the Pune Animal Lovers (PAL) and other organisations went to the spot in the evening, but the carcasses had already been removed.A shopkeeper said the sweeper of the area began removing the carcasses to one spot outside the colony due to the awful stench.“The PMC dog van took away the carcasses by 11 am,” he added. The activists managed to get hold of a carcass that has been handed over to the government polyclinic for post-mortem. The dog’s seven five-day-old puppies were taken into foster care until they are adopted.Animal lovers were livid by the inaction on the part of the PMC. “The van should have informed the police and the animal welfare board about the incident,” said a PAL volunteer, Jitesh Motwani, who lives in the vicinity.Getting the local police to file a first information report (FIR) was an uphill task. It took the group almost three hours to convince the Airport police to do so. “They did not even know the laws relating to animals,” said an exasperated volunteer.The Airport police said they received a complaint about one dog being poisoned to death. “We are awaiting the autopsy report,” the police added.Manoj Oswal, the animal welfare board officer appointed by the Bombay high court committee said, “I came to know of the incident late in the night and immediately I gave instructions to the police. I found that the carcass was taken for post-mortem. Apart from that, our team of volunteers and animal welfare officers have gathered substantial information and identified a few suspects. In every case so far we have been able to put these people behind bars and this should not be any different.”