Hyderabad: Around 300 dogs were reportedly found dumped in a pit in Jagtial district of Telangana under mysterious circumstances, bringing the total number
of mass animal killings in the state to nearly 900 this month. An animal activist claimed that locals told her two unknown women had administered lethal injections to the dogs before they were dumped into the pit. She added that the pit—allegedly meant for burying the carcasses—was half full by noon and about 75% full by evening. The reports of dog killings emerged soon after the Sarpanch Polls, during which candidates had promised to address the issue of excessive stray dogs on the streets. Also Read: Halala, Triple Talaq, Marriage at 15: UP Woman Gang-Raped, Endured 10 Years of Nightmare The latest killings took place in Pegadapally village, about 200 km from Hyderabad, on Thursday. Animal rights activists claimed the dogs were killed on the orders of the village sarpanch (head of the village council). Following a complaint by Preethi Mudavath of the Stray Animal Foundation of India, police registered an FIR against the sarpanch, the gram panchayat secretary, and others. The case has been filed under Section 325 read with 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 11(1)(a) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, which deal with killing or poisoning animals by a group of people. Preethi said she visited the village on Friday and found the dog carcasses near the village boundary, prompting her to file a police complaint. She told The Times of India that villagers reported the dogs were given lethal injections by two women. “Later, the bodies were moved using tractors belonging to the gram panchayat workers and buried in another pit about two kilometres away from the village,” she added.
How the Dogs Are Being Poisoned and Why
A report by Deccan Herald claimed that some hired professionals are using cyanide or strychnine—crystalline rodenticides—to swiftly eliminate dogs in villages across Telangana. These individuals reportedly charge around Rs 500 per dog, covering both poisoning and disposal.One of the main reasons for the unchecked growth of dog populations in rural areas is the inadequate implementation of Animal Birth Control (ABC) programmes, which are now largely limited to urban municipalities. Unlike cities, where ABC initiatives, vaccination drives, and monitoring are somewhat organised, rural areas often lack systematic coverage.
This gap allows stray and semi-owned dogs to breed freely, leading to rapidly increasing numbers. Additionally, rural regions provide abundant food sources—such as open garbage, leftover food, and livestock feed—which help sustain large dog populations. The combination of unchecked breeding and plentiful resources accelerates population growth, worsening public health risks, increasing human-animal conflicts, and intensifying the stray dog problem in villages.
The incidents have caused outrage among animal rights groups, who have demanded strict action against those responsible and requested humane methods to manage stray dog populations instead of resorting to killings.
