After Tigress and cubs, five stray dogs die in Bengaluru due to suspected poisoning: Report

Five stray dogs died under suspicious circumstances in East Bengaluru, prompting a police investigation into suspected poisoning.

Days after the “unnatural death” of a tigress and her cubs sparked controversy in Karnataka, another incident in East Bengaluru's Battarahalli area has come to light, wherein five stray dogs died under suspicious circumstances on the night of June 18, prompting a police investigation into suspected poisoning, The Times of India reported.

Bengaluru: Five stray dogs die after suspected poisoning.

A 52-year-old restaurant owner, Ronni D’Costa, who was their longtime caregiver, filed a formal complaint with the KR Puram police in this regard. He believes the dogs may have been deliberately poisoned. Based on his statement, authorities have registered a case under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and Section 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with the killing or harming of animals.

The event unfolded between 10:30 pm and 11:30 pm on Garden Avenue Road. D’Costa, who runs Ronni Restaurant and has been feeding and caring for the strays for over 15 years, said the animals collapsed within minutes of each other in front of him.

"I used to feed strays in the area for years. On June 18, multiple dogs were poisoned and killed. They were innocent, harmless souls. Some of them were even sterilised and being looked after. Around 15 minutes before the dogs started bleeding, they were playing with me. Then I saw them collapsing one after the other in front of my restaurant. We tried to save them, but efforts went in vain," he told the publication.

The strays were well-known and even named by local residents, as Tiger, Chinese, Chiku, Leo, and Kalu. Many in the community expressed outrage, calling the act not just cruel but a brutal killing.

As the first dog began to convulse, Ronni rushed outside to help. But within minutes, more dogs followed suit. Despite desperate attempts by locals to revive them with water and calls to veterinarians, all five animals died at the scene.

A senior officer from KR Pura police confirmed that the deceased dogs have been sent for autopsy, and samples have been dispatched to a forensic lab to determine the cause of death. "We checked CCTV cameras in the locality but didn't get any clue. Efforts are on to find out if someone has fed poison-laced food to the dogs," the officer said, as quoted in the report.

Adding to the mystery, a BBMP official stated that there had been no prior complaints from residents regarding the stray dogs. He added that they are aware of the situation and are assisting the police in their investigation.

Tiger, four cubs die due to suspected poisoning

In a similar incident, a tigress and her four cubs were found dead in Male Mahadeshwara Hills under the Hugyam forest range. As per preliminary information, the tigers died allegedly due to poisoning. However, a detailed investigation is underway to ascertain the exact cause of death.