Navi Mumbai: Uran strays hit by brutal acid attack

Animal lovers suspect attack was carried out on one single night by bike-borne assailants; feeders fear numbers may increase as they are unable to find other strays

More than a dozen stray dogs have been attacked by individuals using acid around Veshvi village in Uran in the past 10 days. As of Monday, 13 wounded dogs have been rescued, but animal lovers fear the number is likely to increase as 12 strays whom they regularly feed are nowhere to be seen.

A police complaint will soon be filed against the miscreants.

On November 21, animal lover Sunil Madhavi observed that a dog he fed regularly had a burn injury. The next day, his wife Rashmi, saw more canines whose skin had been badly burned. The couple and other feeders then came across even more wounded dogs.

Feeders say the miscreants responsible had been bike-borne. Representation Pic/Satej Shinde

“The injured dogs were so scared, they didn’t even come towards us, which they usually do after anticipating our arrival,” said Madhavi.

“My wife and I literally had to search for the dogs and take them to our home as some of them had sustained severe injuries,” he added.

After temporarily treating the canines, the couple sent them to an NGO.

‘Couldn’t believe it’

“The first time Rashmi called me and told me about the acid attack, I didn’t believe her. I wondered how one could do this to so many dogs. Then she sent pictures, followed by the actual dogs, I couldn’t believe it. We had to wash the wounds and the flesh was coming off. It’s really painful to see them,” said Anamika Chowdhury, founder of the NGO Hands That Heal Animal Care Foundation. “The feeders anticipate there will be more such dogs. If they aren’t treated early, they will develop maggots,” she added.

According to feeders, the miscreants responsible had been bike-borne. “The area where the dogs have been found is accessible only by bikes. The person must have come on a two-wheeler, flung acid on dogs and fled. We suspect this happened on the night of November 21,” Madhavi said.

As the feeders and other animal lovers are busy searching for injured dogs, no police complaint has been filed yet. “We simply haven’t got any time to file a police complaint, as we are busy treating and searching for victims. Once we are done, we will do it,” said Chowdhury.

13
No. of dogs that have been found so far with acid wounds 

12
No. of strays that haven’t been found

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