300 Stray Dogs 'Killed' With Lethal Injections in Telangana: 2 Sarpanches Among 9 Booked in Mass Killing Case

Telangana: Police have booked cases against nine people, including the sarpanches of Shayampet and Arepally villages, in Telangana’s Hanumakonda district for allegedly killing around 300 stray dogs by administering lethal injections. The disturbing incident came to light after police and veterinary officials visited the villages and began procedures to examine the buried carcasses.

The case has triggered outrage among animal welfare groups, while village sources claim the action was taken amid public pressure due to the growing stray dog population.

The matter surfaced on Sunday when police teams, along with veterinary doctors, visited the area to conduct postmortems on the buried carcasses.

Parkal Assistant Commissioner of Police Satishbabu confirmed the case had been registered based on a formal complaint.

In his complaint, Goutham alleged that hundreds of stray dogs were killed inside Shayampet and Arepally village limits after two individuals were hired to inject the animals.

Seeking strict action, the complainant also urged authorities to adopt humane population control measures.

“The government should implement measures such as animal birth control, sterilisation, and vaccination to manage the stray dog population,” the complaint stated.

The case has been filed under provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

However, sources from the villages have questioned the basis of the complaint and claimed the incident was linked to mounting local pressure.

They said village elders argued that the move was taken in response to public demand during the sarpanch elections, with residents complaining that the stray dog population had become a nuisance.

Police said investigation is ongoing and more details will emerge after forensic and veterinary examination findings are received.

(with inputs from ANI)