AGRA: The wails of the mother whose six newborn pups had been brutally murdered still fill the ears of the people who took her to the hospital but to no avail. In Agra’s Shahganj, a man has been accused of killing a dog and her babies in cold blood and later dumping their bodies in a sack. To
protest against the barbaric act, animal activist Vineeta Arora, accompanied by other animal welfare supporters and residents, took out a protest candle march in Agra on Friday. An FIR has been lodged against the accused at the Shahganj police station.
Vinod Kumar, who had been formerly accused of committing atrocities against animals, allegedly beat the newborn puppies and their lactating mother with a baton on November 11. All the pups died within three hours of their birth. Vinod Kumar packed their bodies in a sack and dumped them in the nearby GIC ground. Their mother Jerry, who had also been grievously injured in the act, was taken to an animal hospital by a few samaritans but she too met the same fate on November 12.
The heinous act came to light when Vineeta Arora, who runs the NGO Casper’s Home, took it upon herself to lodge an FIR with Shahganj police station against the accused, on November 13. She had received a call from a woman who had informed her that a female dog and her newborn pups were being mercilessly beaten by people in the Ladli Katra area of Shahganj. She responded to the distress call immediately with her team. "We rescued Jerry who cried continuously. Is she not a mother? How are we letting people get away with animal cruelty? Isn’t it our responsibility to ensure that no one goes scot-free after committing such a barbaric act?’’
The protest march, #JusticeForJerry, saw activists from Ek Pahel, an NGO organisation in Agra, and the Agra Teachers Club. Vineeta says that she plans to organise more events to raise awareness among people regarding animal welfare and to desist people from harming strays in any manner. The complaint is being investigated and the activists hope that it would eventually lead to the accused being awarded a strict punishment to serve as an example.
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.