Mumbai’s Dogs Deserve Justice- Candlelight Vigils

In Mumbai, candlelight vigils have been held to mourn the tragic loss of dogs, victims of poisoning and assault at two separate locations in the city, near Powai and Andheri. Animal lovers gathered peacefully to demand justice for these innocent animals, whose lives were cruelly taken. FIRs were filed at Vikhroli Parksite and Amboli police stations in response to these heinous acts, with activists calling for the swift arrest of those responsible for such atrocities.

Theresa George, a local animal feeder at Suncity Complex, situated between Powai and Gandhinagar Junction, recounted the distressing incident, stating, “Eight dogs were recently poisoned to death within and around our complex. I filed an FIR, and CCTV footage revealed one individual from Venus CHS feeding something suspicious to the dogs just before their tragic demise.” The candlelight vigil at Suncity aimed to urge authorities for further action, backed by substantial electronic evidence and the necessity of a detailed post-mortem report to ascertain the cause of death.

Leading the candlelight vigil and peaceful march, activist Hema Choudhary sought justice for the poisoned dogs. In another case of animal cruelty at Lokhandwala in Andheri West, a beloved stray dog named “Jai” fell victim to brutal violence outside the Runwal Elegante complex. Concerned citizens, who lodged the FIR, provided CCTV footage capturing a local resident wielding a stick on the night of the incident. Allegedly, the suspect had previously threatened Jai due to the dog’s protective behavior towards his daughter.

Authorities are investigating both cases. An animal rights activist lamented the lack of government-run animal welfare units, despite constitutional provisions supporting animal rights. Urbanization has exacerbated the plight of stray dogs, with insufficient food and water sources further endangering their survival. Feeding animals is met with hostility, despite being a constitutional right to display compassion towards all living beings.

Activists emphasized the urgent need for government intervention, advocating for the establishment of multiple animal welfare units to curb such atrocities and safeguard the welfare of mute creatures.