Hyderabad: Instances of dogs going missing, being stolen or abducted are increasing in the city. The police make out an FIR only if there is evidence of abduction or theft.
Animal rights activists said pet dogs often remained untraced and were trafficked just like humans. The Blue Cross of Hyderabad receives 50 to 60 reports of dogs going missing every month and only 10 to 15 are traced. The rest could be stolen by breeders or die in road mishaps or are lost on the streets.
Inspector K. Srinivas of the Banjara Hills police said, “We issue an FIR only when there is a clear cut case of theft. Otherwise we make a general diary entry. Usually we find negligence of owners resulting in the dogs going missing. Every year, we issue three to four FIRs at the Banajara Hills police station on missing dogs.”
Ms Akunuri Archana, a volunteer with Blue Cross, said that the NGO has a sponsored an FB page that reaches “lakhs and people send us mails (about missing dogs) and we post them. On an average we post one or two missing cases a day. The number goes up during the Diwali season due to fire crackers. Out of the 50 to 60 missing dogs, only 10 to 15 are traced.”
An old dog may come under a vehicle, she said, while young well-bred dogs “fall into the wrong hands and are not returned to the owners. They are sold for breeding or put on free sites such as OLX. There is a trafficking racket just like human trafficking. For instance, a young male Labrador is sold for '8,000. After being used for a few years they are again abandoned.”
Police said that though they register an FIR if the value of the animal was above Rs 50, they don’t have the manpower when more serious crimes claim their attention.
Ms Vasanthi Vadi of People for Animals and a dog behaviour expert said, “Male dogs get lost when they go in search of female dogs on heat. There are thefts as well as genuine missing cases. Neutering of male dogs has to be done to prevent this. Cops have to issue an FIR if someone lodges a complaint.”
Mr G. Pranay Kumar, whose dog went missing on December 12, announced a reward of Rs 20,000 and got a tip-off that led him to a dog breeder. “I searched for my dog at the GHMC pound and posted a message on social media and put 300 posters around the place. A tip-off led to a house where I found him with seven other dogs. I didn’t complain as they took good care of my dog and gave him a shampoo bath.”
Ms Grace Hephzibah, a resident of Ameerpet, was not so lucky. Her dog Mickey went missing on December 9 in Kukatpally. “We informed Blue Cross, but we are yet to find him,” she said. Mr Mohammed Adil, who reported a missing dog was informed by Blue Cross that it had died in a road mishap.
