<p>Hyderabad: In a disturbing case of alleged organised animal cruelty, dozens of Siberian Huskies, an exotic breed built for Arctic temperatures, were seen abandoned on the outskirts of Hyderabad earlier this month.</p><p>They were left to survive the punishing summer heat with no food, water, or shelter. The issue came to light on Wednesday as a group of animal welfare volunteers rescued these canines and shifted to shelter homes. </p><p>The dogs were offloaded from a truck under the cover of night, reportedly on April 20 or 21, along the Shankarpally–Patancheru road on the city's western side. </p><p>Eyewitnesses say as many as 40 huskies were seen being unloaded from a van in the dark. Since then, many have scattered into the surrounding scrubland; others wandered into nearby residential areas. </p><p>In more than a week since, temperatures in Telangana have hovered above 40°C, conditions that are, for this breed, potentially fatal.</p><p>The crisis came to light after a young attendant at a local petrol station noticed a husky approaching him, visibly desperate for water. </p><p>Word spread to animal rights groups, and volunteers from the Aasra Foundation and Swan NGO were quickly pressed into action. What they found was grim. </p><p>One dog had already died, its body left in the dirt. Several others were in critical condition, suffering from severe dehydration and acute heat stress.</p><p>Around eight dogs have since been rescued and are currently receiving treatment. Some were picked up by passing motorists and the fate of the rest remains unknown.</p>.Gas shortage: Rescue centres unable to feed animals.<p>"This wasn't a mistake. It was an organised disposal," said Gauri Vandana, founder of the Aasra Foundation. "Given the sheer number of purebred dogs, we strongly suspect a local breeder or a private facility used these animals for illegal testing or mass breeding. Once they were no longer useful, they were discarded in a place where they were never meant to survive," Gauri Vandana told DH.</p><p>Vandana also flagged a more alarming possibility. "We don't know if someone injected a virus and released these animals onto the streets. The police must investigate this urgently."</p>.<p>The abandoned dogs range from one to four years of age. Siberian Huskies are among the more expensive breeds available in India, with pups typically priced upwards of Rs 25,000. </p><p>Animal rights activists said the breed has increasingly become a status symbol among affluent urban buyers, many of whom keep them exclusively in air-conditioned environments, a stark contrast to the conditions in which these dogs were found.</p><p>"Rearing a Husky has become a status symbol," said one activist. "Many owners keep them only in air-conditioned spaces. They have no idea what these animals endure when that privilege is taken away," a rescuer told <em>DH</em>.</p><p>The rescuers are clear about what the abandonment means for a breed like this. Huskies carry thick double coats evolved for the Siberian tundra.</p><p>In 40°C heat, with no water source in sight and real estate development having stripped the area of any natural water bodies, the animals were effectively left to perish. </p><p>"Abandoning a Husky in this heat isn't just neglect, it's a death sentence," said Vandana. "Their thick coats are designed for the Arctic. Here, they are literally cooking from the inside out," she added.</p><p>The rescued animals remain in fragile condition and require sustained medical attention. Activists are now appealing to the public for information. </p><p>Anyone who witnessed a truck offloading dogs near Shankarpally on the night of April 20 or 21, or who has knowledge of a breeding facility or kennel that recently shut down operations, is urged to come forward and assist with the investigation.</p>
<p>Hyderabad: In a disturbing case of alleged organised animal cruelty, dozens of Siberian Huskies, an exotic breed built for Arctic temperatures, were seen abandoned on the outskirts of Hyderabad earlier this month.</p><p>They were left to survive the punishing summer heat with no food, water, or shelter. The issue came to light on Wednesday as a group of animal welfare volunteers rescued these canines and shifted to shelter homes. </p><p>The dogs were offloaded from a truck under the cover of night, reportedly on April 20 or 21, along the Shankarpally–Patancheru road on the city's western side. </p><p>Eyewitnesses say as many as 40 huskies were seen being unloaded from a van in the dark. Since then, many have scattered into the surrounding scrubland; others wandered into nearby residential areas. </p><p>In more than a week since, temperatures in Telangana have hovered above 40°C, conditions that are, for this breed, potentially fatal.</p><p>The crisis came to light after a young attendant at a local petrol station noticed a husky approaching him, visibly desperate for water. </p><p>Word spread to animal rights groups, and volunteers from the Aasra Foundation and Swan NGO were quickly pressed into action. What they found was grim. </p><p>One dog had already died, its body left in the dirt. Several others were in critical condition, suffering from severe dehydration and acute heat stress.</p><p>Around eight dogs have since been rescued and are currently receiving treatment. Some were picked up by passing motorists and the fate of the rest remains unknown.</p>.Gas shortage: Rescue centres unable to feed animals.<p>"This wasn't a mistake. It was an organised disposal," said Gauri Vandana, founder of the Aasra Foundation. "Given the sheer number of purebred dogs, we strongly suspect a local breeder or a private facility used these animals for illegal testing or mass breeding. Once they were no longer useful, they were discarded in a place where they were never meant to survive," Gauri Vandana told DH.</p><p>Vandana also flagged a more alarming possibility. "We don't know if someone injected a virus and released these animals onto the streets. The police must investigate this urgently."</p>.<p>The abandoned dogs range from one to four years of age. Siberian Huskies are among the more expensive breeds available in India, with pups typically priced upwards of Rs 25,000. </p><p>Animal rights activists said the breed has increasingly become a status symbol among affluent urban buyers, many of whom keep them exclusively in air-conditioned environments, a stark contrast to the conditions in which these dogs were found.</p><p>"Rearing a Husky has become a status symbol," said one activist. "Many owners keep them only in air-conditioned spaces. They have no idea what these animals endure when that privilege is taken away," a rescuer told <em>DH</em>.</p><p>The rescuers are clear about what the abandonment means for a breed like this. Huskies carry thick double coats evolved for the Siberian tundra.</p><p>In 40°C heat, with no water source in sight and real estate development having stripped the area of any natural water bodies, the animals were effectively left to perish. </p><p>"Abandoning a Husky in this heat isn't just neglect, it's a death sentence," said Vandana. "Their thick coats are designed for the Arctic. Here, they are literally cooking from the inside out," she added.</p><p>The rescued animals remain in fragile condition and require sustained medical attention. Activists are now appealing to the public for information. </p><p>Anyone who witnessed a truck offloading dogs near Shankarpally on the night of April 20 or 21, or who has knowledge of a breeding facility or kennel that recently shut down operations, is urged to come forward and assist with the investigation.</p>