In a shocking incident of animal cruelty, a puppy was allegedly burned alive by NGO staff in Pune.
As per the information, a resident of Gahunje Road found a dog named Shadow, which was being attacked by stray dogs. He took the dog home and decided to foster it until a permanent home could be found. However, his dog started fighting with him. So the man who found the dog, Anupran Trivedi, went searching for a shelter home for animals.
After a search, he found a shelter home in Marunji. However, the shelter he found was in a filthy state, poorly lit, and the dogs looked scared, hungry, and restless. The owner of the NGO, Rohit Chowdhary, claimed that the situation was due to a power cut. Thus, Trivedi left his dog with the NGO for a fee of 12,000 rupees and donated a few other items.
Later, after a few days, when he did not receive updates or photos of Shadow, he asked the owner, who told him that Shadow had contracted rabies and was not doing well. Suspicious, Trivedi asked a friend to visit. The friend found the place in the same precarious state. The villagers told him that they had heard a dog crying for help and took him to a location where a carcass of a dog was found, which looked like Shadow.
NGO under scanner for mistreatment to animals
After that, they investigated Chowdhary’s past and found disturbing information about him. Considering these findings, they lodged an FIR at the Hinjewadi Police Station.
However, a video posted by Nilesh Khare, president of the Society for Animal Safety, India, showed disturbing visuals from the said animal shelter, depicting animals in a precarious state and caged, scared, and some in grave condition. He also alleged that the NGO at the center has committed fraud of around 20 lakh rupees. Comments in the section have further alleged concerning conditions at the NGO's shelter house.
"Rohit Chowdhary's shelter is facing a dire situation. Many animals are tied up without proper care, while some animals have tragically died, and others are forced to share cages under distressing conditions. Animals have been found living in their own waste, and the shelter is devoid of caretakers. To make matters worse, the founder has absconded, leaving the animals vulnerable. We want to extend our deepest gratitude to the volunteers who have stepped up to help in this critical time. Your compassion makes a difference. We urgently need donations for these animals. Please consider contributing whatever you can to help us turn this situation around. Together, we can give these animals the life they deserve," he wrote in the caption of the video.
Attempts to reach Chowdhary were unsuccessful, as his number was unreachable.
Meanwhile, Kanhaiya Thorat, Senior PI of Hinjawadi Police Station, said, "We are in the process of registering the case after the complainant approached us. We will start the investigation as soon as the case is registered."
