Bhubaneswar: "Could You Do It To Any Other Woman What You Did It To Her?" These words of rage are still smouldering inside people of Odisha who are now coming forward to express solidarity with the pregnant dog that was brutally killed by a woman and her neighbour in Bhubaneswar last month.
From civil societies to Ollywood, everybody seems to be rattled by the incident which has raised several questions on the implementation and protection of animal rights to put a check on animal cruelty.
A protest march was recently organised by some animal rights activists in Bhubaneswar demanding justice for the stray dog, which has been named April as she was brutally beaten to death in the month of April.
Actress Anubha and Puspa Panda among others condemned the killing of the pregnant dog in the city.
Actress Elina Samantaray too protested the incident and said, "Being a woman, how could she beat a pregnant dog to death? Though Animal Welfare Trust Ekamra members rescued April, she could not be saved. Her pre-mature puppies also died."
Elina also questioned that if there are rights, why are the animals still suffering the scourge of inhumanity. "Odisha government is doing a lot of welfare measures to protect the animals during COVID-19 crisis. I request State government and others to ensure that such cruelty towards animals are stopped," she added.
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As per the Animal Welfare Trust Ekamra members, the incident was reported from Samantarapur in Bhubaneswar. The pregnant dog beaten mercilessly by a woman was in a miserable condition and could hardly move when it was rescued and rushed to the hospital. Despite all attempts, she could not be saved and her two premature puppies who were delivered after a C-Section surgery also succumbed later.
It is not for the first time that Bhubaneswar has witnessed such attrocities against animals. Chairperson of ‘Speak For Animals’ Kusal Biswas had lodged an FIR at Chandrasekharpur Police Station seeking action against one Suresh Digal for allegedly beating a dog to death.
In his complaint, Biswas stated that his team was undertaking a feeding drive when they found a dead pup lying opposite Federal Bank ATM on Infocity Road here. His legs were tied up, eyes prolapsed, skull and jaws were broken while mouth and ears ooze blood.
Later, one Sub-inspector cop interrogated two persons asleep outside a restaurant, and one of them admitted to having attacked the pup with plywood and bricks. Reports claimed that the accused was arrested and subsequently produced before court.
In November last year, a cab driver was also arrested for allegedly killing four puppies (dogs) by running his car over them in Sailashree Vihar area of Bhubaneswar.