Twenty street and pet dogs were found dead on the road in Kunnathur village, around six km from Arani town in Tiruvannamalai.
The police said that the residents found the carcasses of street and pet dogs on many streets with raw meat near them around 7 a.m. Immediately, they alerted Arani Taluk police and panchayat officials. The officials rushed to the spot.
“It is a shocking incident that has happened in the village for the first time. We have identified a poultry farmer in the village who is said to have committed the crime,” said S. Velu, secretary, Kunnathur village panchayat.
Initial inquiry by the police and panchayat officials revealed that a poultry farmer, Shan Basha, 45, was rearing around 200 ducks. Every day, he used to take his ducks on the street between his farmland and a nearby lake. During that time, the police said that the dogs used to bark and chased some of the ducks.
However, the police said that Mr. Basha felt that street dogs would always be a threat for his ducks. As a result, he mixed pesticide with raw meat and kept it on the streets.
Following the incident, a group of residents, including V.K. Vasudevan, a local activist and resident, complained to the village panchayat. A case will be filed by Arani Taluk police under section 429 of IPC (Mischief by killing or maiming cattle) and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
A probe by veterinarians from the Directorate of Animal Husbandry of the State government is underway.
