This story is from March 4, 2019

In Khammam, 20 stray dogs killed; locals blame civic body

In Khammam, 20 stray dogs killed; locals blame civic body
Representative image
HYDERABAD: In a heinous act of animal cruelty, around 20 stray dogs, including pregnant ones and lactating mothers, were allegedly poisoned in Prakash Nagar, Khammam, about 200 kilometres from Hyderabad, on Sunday morning.
While complaints alleged that authorities of Khammam Municipal Corporation were behind the killings, officials have denied the allegations. This act triggered outrage among animal activists and residents.
They alleged that municipal workers injected poison into the dogs after receiving complaints of stray dog attacks in the locality.
“Dogs, including those with puppies, were poisoned and killed on Sunday morning. Despite locals trying their best to intervene, the men claimed that they were directed to kill these dogs as they are attacking people,” said Udaykumar E, an animal activist, adding that some of these dogs were pets and fed by residents.
Confirming the same, a resident of Prakash Nagar Colony said, “I saw a few people catching dogs near our lane and injecting them. When I went to see what was happening, I saw corpses of several dogs lying on the roadside.”
Speaking to TOI, B Srinivas, commissioner of Khammam Municipal Corporation, said that the civic workers were issued clear instructions against harming or killing dogs and added that this might be the work of agitated locals.
“We were told that few dogs attacked about 10 locals on Saturday night. Angered with the incident, someone living in the locality commissioned an outsider to kill dogs,” said Srinivas, adding that civic workers are aware of rules and would never indulge in such acts.
He said that the civic body has not received any complaint either on dog biting residents nor on dog killings, but assured that they would take up animal birth control (ABC) programme and create awareness against the killing of dogs.
Activists and civic workers tried to shift the blame to local leaders, saying that they were the ones who commissioned the dog killings. No case has been registered as the activists decided against approaching the police after the municipal commissioner assured that he would start an ABC programme.
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