In a distressing incident at Government Dudhadhari Bajrang Girls Postgraduate College campus in Kalibadi, Raipur, an FIR was registered under Section 429 of the Indian Penal Code against unidentified individuals for the alleged killing of two puppies. The incident was reported by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, led by Dr Kiran Ahuja and local activists Vanchana Laban, Rahul Solanki and Vidhi Abrol. Upon receiving the information about the relocation of four puppies born at the college campus, PETA India and local activists promptly reported the incident to City Kotwali Police Station. Preliminary findings revealed that two puppies had died due to separation from their mother, with post-mortem confirming death by starvation.

 

The FIR was registered against an unknown individual for the illegal displacement of the puppies, reportedly on the college principal’s instructions. One surviving puppy, found in distress beside its deceased siblings, was reunited with its mother after a veterinary check-up. The whereabouts and well-being of the fourth puppy remain unknown. PETA India emphasised that educational institutions should teach kindness and empathy, not cruelty. The organisation called on learning institutions to address the community dog overpopulation crisis through sterilisation, citing Rule 11(19) of the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, which prohibits the relocation of community animals.

 

PETA India, advocating against speciesism and cruelty, highlighted the challenges faced by community dogs, including human cruelty, accidents, starvation, disease, and injury. The organisation urged sterilisation as a humane solution, preventing overpopulation and the suffering of animals in shelters. Sterilisation, a simple and effective measure, can prevent thousands of births over several years. PETA India stressed the importance of humane practices to address the community dog issue at educational institutions and beyond.