[TRIGGER WARNING: Graphic Content]
“Unseen they suffer, unheard they cry
In agony they linger, in loneliness they die
Does it mean anything to you or anyone who passes by?”
The words above epitomise the pain, the suffering that millions of animals endure at the hands of humans every single day.
2017 will go down in history as a year that saw many significant developments in India and across the globe. Reports of animal abuse were more common than anything else. Forget stray dogs and cats, animals like monkeys and mice were also subjected to inhuman treatment, which often resulted in horrific deaths.
We were about to step into a fresh new year with lots of expectations and hopes. However, there was yet another heart-wrenching incident of animal abuse in Kanpur, where a man thrashed a langur with a stick and hurled abuses at it. He kept on thrashing the innocent animal,till he saw a group of people coming to rescue it.
Cruelty to animals in India is a concern which Indians appear not ready to take responsibility for. Attacks on stray animals, and even wildlife, are now becoming part of our daily lives.
Let’s take a look at some of the very specific instances that led to public outrage and the demand to end it all.
1. Army Major allegedly beats 3 stray dogs to death in Dehradun
In May 2017, an army officer allegedly beat three stray dogs to death and caused severe injuries to two others in Dehradun’s Garhi Cantonment area. The officer allegedly attacked the dogs with an iron rod in front of shocked eyewitnesses.
2.When a drunk taxi driver from Delhi allegedly raped a puppy to death
On August 31 , 2017 , a taxi driver in Delhi was accused of raping a female puppy, which later bled to death. Naresh purportedly raped the dog and left it bleeding. He confessed this later to an animal lover and a few neighbours.
3. When 12 cats were fatally poisoned at Wakad Bungalow, Pune
Around 12 cats were found poisoned at a housing society in Wakad.
4. When dogs were tied and dragged in Akola
On September 17, 2017, a resident of Akola uploaded photographs and claimed that he had witnessed 40 dogs being taken away in a cruel fashion. “The dogs are lured with something to eat. Then, a bamboo stick that has a wire attached to one end is hooked on to their jaws and they are dragged on road. The legs of the dogs are tied and they are thrown into the vans,” the person said.
5. When dogs were tied to rope, dragged and burnt alive in Pune; 16 others poisoned
In a case of horrendous cruelty in October 2017, four stray dogs were first tortured, dragged and then burnt alive. The remains of 16 other dogs were also found in the bushes nearby. The bodies of the dogs nearby indicated that they had been poisoned.
6. When a woman in Bengaluru killed 8 puppies to teach their mother a lesson
The woman, who was identified as Ponamma, allegedly flung all eight puppies, one after the other, onto a boulder. According to Ponamma’s neighbours, she killed the puppies to teach their mother a lesson for giving birth to the litter near her house.
7. When a man mercilessly thrashed a langur that led to the animal’s blindness
On December 31 , 2017, a man named Raghubir assaulted the innocent animal with a stick and hurled abuses. This led to the langur becoming completely blind. The langur was taken to the SPCA Hospital, Kanpur, for treatment.
So much for saving the environment, when all the efforts at saving it are all going to waste. Without the animals, how will mother nature survive, anyway?
Let’s contribute in paving the way for a better, more inclusive, more humane and animal welfare-friendly Indian society. This may take years, but there has to be an initial move in the right direction.
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Featured image used for representative purposes only.