Nine held for killing dogs using lethal injections in Shivamogga

Police have nabbed nine persons, including gram panchayat members, on charges of killing stray dogs using lethal injections and burying them in forest area in Bhadravathi taluk.

Speaking to DH, Superintendent of Police BM Laxmi Prasad said Somu (40), from Mysuru, who was entrusted with the responsibility of sterilising stray dogs, killed them using lethal injections in violation of norms.

Gram panchayat members, a secretary and a bill collector too had been arrested in this regard.

So far, carcasses of over 60 dogs had been retrieved from Thammadihalli forest area where they were buried. Veterinary doctors have conducted post-mortem on them and sent bone, hair, skin and part of a liver of the dogs to Forensic Science laboratory for examination.

He also revealed that they were not aware of the rules that stray dogs can't be culled. They were surprised after knowing that a case had been registered against them.

It may be mentioned here that Kambadaal-Hosur gram panchayat consulted a dog catcher Somu from Mysuru to end stray dog menace in panchayat limits following dog bite incidents. It is said that people and children were bitten by stray dogs.

The catcher came to the village on September 4 and reportedly killed them using lethal injections rather than sterilising the dogs.

As per the norms, dogs must be sterilised and they must be released into the same area from where they had been captured. But they killed dogs and buried them in the forest area.

Suspected by this, Shivamogga Animal Rescue Club lodged a complaint at Bhadravathi Rural police station. Later, police visited the spot and dug the ground after a few days and found the dogs, which were in a decomposed state.

As per the norms, they had to capture stray dogs, vaccinate them against rabies, sterilise them, and release them in the areas where they had been captured. It is better known as Catch Neuter Vaccinate & Release (CNVR) drive.

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