HYDERABAD: In a significant development in the Husky abandonment case, BDL Bhanur police on Wednesday arrested four persons for allegedly abandoning 11 Siberian Huskies and one German Shepherd on the outskirts of Hyderabad. Police said one Husky died due to extreme heat exposure, while the remaining dogs were found in critical condition.According to the investigation, the accused had initially planned to abandon 13 dogs. However, after receiving a phone call seeking the return of one male Husky, they allegedly brought that dog back and abandoned the remaining 12 animals in an isolated stretch at Nandigram village near Patancheru.The arrested accused were identified as Neethipudi Satyanarayana alias Mojesh (50), a dog caretaker at Calvary Church and resident of Fatehnagar, Balanagar; Vandaluri Sudheer Babu (55), executive and dog caretaker at Calvary Church and resident of Hanumanpet, Malkajgiri; Madda Sundar Singh (44), driver at Calvary Church and resident of Kollur village in RC Puram mandal; and Sapati Annavaram Satyanarayana (52), driver at Calvary Church and resident of Hydernagar, Hyderabad.All four accused remandedSpeaking on the case, Sangareddy superintendent of police Paritosh Pankaj, said police traced the accused using CCTV footage and technical evidence. “We identified the vehicle used in the offense — TS07UG6451 — and later seized it from Calvary Temple premises, a church, in Miyapur.The SP said the accused allegedly abandoned the dogs because they had grown older and there was insufficient space to keep them. The rescued dogs were later shifted to SWAN NGO for treatment and rehabilitation.A case was registered at BDL Bhanur police station under section 325 of BNS (mischief by killing, poisoning, maiming, or rendering useless any animal) and Section 11(1)(i) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.“A letter has been addressed to GHMC officials seeking details regarding permissions and licenses related to dog breeding and maintenance at the Calvary Temple premises as a few more dogs are still at the church,” said another official from BDL Bhanur police station, adding that the investigation is underway.Meanwhile, two more dogs have been traced by the rescuers from SWAN NGO and AASRA Foundation. But this time they were not found in scrublands but were found tied alongside cattle in a nearby village.“Two minors had taken the dogs home after spotting them abandoned and noticing their unusual appearance. Unaware of how to care for the breed, the children tied the animals with their family’s cattle,” said Harsh Kishor from SWAN NGO.
