Mumbai: A two-year-old black female pug was allegedly thrown out of a running car in Pratiksha Nagar, Sion after its owners discovered that the pug was suffering from skin disease.
The incident outraged animal rights activists and concerned residents, who filed a complaint against the owners of the pug – Avinash Jadhav, and Sachin Jadhav, both in the transport business, and Puja Haldankar. The three are residents of Pratiksha Nagar, Sion.
According to cops, the pug was tied outside its house for the last few days. After witnessing the hapless pet’s worsening situation due to the owner’s negligence to its condition, some of the concerned residents volunteered to take the pug to a veterinary doctor at the Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Hospital for Animals in Parel.
“The Jadhavs had even agreed to it but did not turn up with the dog at the hospital,” said a police official from Wadala TT police station.
Later, on June 15, when the residents went to enquire about the pet, they did not find it at the home. Subsequently, they took the help of animal rights activists to find its whereabouts.
“The family started avoiding us, and one of its owners Puja Haldankar told us that the dog was kept in Uran. However, when we requested her to make a video call, she failed to do so. None of them could produce the dog even after ten days. When finally, we threatened them to report the incident to police, they confessed to us that they had thrown the dog from a running car in Pratiksha Nagar area in Sion,” said Leena Soaz, who works for animal rights.
The Wadala Truck Terminus (TT) police have registered a case against the owners under sections 289 (negligent conduct with respect to animal) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and also under the section 11 (cruelties and atrocities perpetrated on both domesticated and wild animals) of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act, 1960.
“We will take a call on making arrests. We are also searching for the dog,” said Sunil Waghmare, police inspector of Wadala TT police station.