Agra: Dog dies in locked car parked near Taj Mahal

A pet dog allegedly suffocated to death after its owners left the canine locked in a car in the parking lot of Taj Mahal in Agra for several hours, said police on Monday.

A pet dog allegedly suffocated to death after its owners left the canine locked in a car in the parking lot of Taj Mahal in Agra for several hours, said police on Monday.

A pet dog allegedly suffocated to death after its owners left the canine locked in a car in the parking lot of Taj Mahal in Agra for several hours (AFP)

A case has been registered against the pet owners from Haryana, whose identity is being ascertained, under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act at the Tajganj police station in Agra on the basis of a complaint made by the parking contractor, said a police official.

Confirming the incident, Tajganj police station senior sub inspector Devendra Singh said: “The incident took place on Sunday when tourists in a car bearing a Haryana registration number, visited the Taj Mahal. The car owner parked the vehicle and went to visit the monument on a hot and humid day”.

“A complaint has been lodged by the contractor of the parking lot in Taj Mahal and a case has been registered against the unidentified car owner under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. A probe is on into the matter,” said Singh.

“The dog carcass has been sent for post-mortem examination to find the exact cause of death,” said Singh.

Reacting to the incident, Vineeta Arora, who runs an NGO in Agra for animals said: “It is a cold-blooded murder... the dog was chained inside a locked car in the most adverse hot and humid weather conditions. The parking lot owners and attendants should also not allow parking of such vehicles with pets locked inside.”