Mad at howling, Indian man kills 20 stray dogs

In a harrowing show of animal cruelty, a 24-year-old sweetmeat seller has poisoned at least 20 stray dogs to death in the Indian state of Odisha as he was exasperated over their howling at night and the mess they used to create near his shop.

However, local police arrested him on Wednesday from the state’s district, reports NDTV, adding that the accused killed the dogs in a span of five days, according to police.

The incident came to light when locals stumbled upon at least 10 dog carcasses dumped in a nearby pit. They found more carcasses around the marketplace of Sankarpur village in Tangi-Choudwar block, around 13 km north of Cuttack city.

The accused confessed that he had given the dogs food laced with poison as he was irritated over their howling at night and the mess they created, a police officer said.

The man was booked under sections of the Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, he said, adding that the carcasses were sent for forensic examinations and further investigation was underway.

Earlier this year, the Indian government proposed an amendment to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 to increase penalties against animal cruelty from Rs 50 to Rs 75,000 or “three times the cost of the animal” besides up to five years’ imprisonment.