The plight of a tortured stray pup was lost in translation and ignored by authorities in Rajkot city, in the Indian state of Gujarat. Social media users have shared the story about how a stray puppy in her area was subjected to animal cruelty, and police took no action, claiming that they could not understand the complaint as it was written in English.
Padmavati Jain, a former college principal, alleged the watchman of her society beat up the stray pup, blinding it in one eye. Social media users have shared the story, many calling the incident “horrific”.
‘The pup didn’t read the notice’
Reportedly, on May 9, the residents of the society took over a common plot of land, which was left unused earlier, and had become home to stray dogs in the area.
The residents also put up a notice board, banning the entry of stray dogs into the plot.
“One little pup, however, didn’t read the notice put up by the residents banning entry for stray dogs. So it kept barging in, much to the watchman’s annoyance,” according to a timesofindia.com article.
The report states that Jain filed a written complaint with university police on May 10 requesting them to check cruelty against dogs. “I repeatedly asked the cops to send a PCR van to educate society members that cruelty to animals is an offence under the law. My lone voice in the society was falling on deaf and defiant ears.”
No action, however, was taken by the police. The accused refused to stop assaulting the canine.
According to indiatimes.com: “On June 12, the former college principal heard the puppy's cries. She immediately went outside to look for the canine. Unable to find the puppy, Jain confronted the watchmen, identified as Kamal.”
He told her about the notice warning strays to remain out, and warned that he will continue to beat the pup if it returned.
On June 14, she finally found it under an under-construction building. The dog had injured its eye, and a visit to a veterinarian revealed that it had been blinded in one eye. Jain said that she turned to the university police station but they did not register an FIR. She tried to meet the police commissioner but was not allowed to meet him.
Reportedly, Jain shared the photos of the abused pup in Whatsapp messages to the police commissioner, the police inspector and also to Indian politician Maneka Gandhi, an animal rights activist, and environmentalist. After the Member of Parliament (MP) intervened, police registered an FIR.
