Are Stray Dogs Being Poisoned In Hyderabad Ahead of Ivanka Trump’s Visit?

Animal loving residents of Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills and neighboring areas have raised grave concern over the disappearance of some friendly street dogs in their vicinity and are blaming the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) for this cruel operation. The allegation against GHMC is that of poisoning the street dogs to cleanse the city to prepare for Ivanka Trump’s visit at the end of this month. She will be attending the Global Entrepreneurship Summit to be held in Hyderabad.
The so called clean up drive by civic authorities began with targeting beggars and hawkers on the city’s streets. They were picked up & transported to rehabilitation centers by local police. The past two days have been quite an ordeal for innocent and friendly street dogs in the city. Even animal activists have come together, accusing the GHMC of poisoning stray dogs across Hyderabad before dumping them in undisclosed locations. These activists have also reported finding dogs that were dead and some critically ill with signs of being poisoned.

Some residents took the ailing dogs to GHMC vets for treatment, and it was confirmed by these doctors that these strays were poisoned.

In a chat with Deccan Chronicle, a resident expressed remorse over the vanishing of some street dogs he cared for and said that they haven’t returned ever since they were picked up. He further added that these canines had never bitten anyone.

However the GHMC officials have so far denied any accusation directed at them and have issued a statement claiming that all allegations are wrong as they don’t kill the stray dogs; they only pick up the dogs for animal birth control process and release them in the same locality.

Animal activists aren’t taking this matter sitting down and have begun gathering concrete evidences. They have also urged animal loving residents to share photos and information on the matter and plan to take this case to Supreme Court. A lot of people are getting together to protest for these mute animals and are blaming the GHMC for failing to implement a legitimate structured plan to reduce stray dog population and for adopting illegal quick fixes.

Is this sort of sanitation drive by Telangana Government justified? Dogs are sentient beings not to be judged by the way they look. Any city for that matter must be better equipped to house strays within a comfortable setting. Whether humans have trespassed upon nature or animals have encroached our space is like an unending debate with no firm answer. Civic authorities must employ right set of people and animal doctors to manage such centers. Even animal birth control programmes must be monitored and performed by experts following proper procedures. Neutered strays can also be put up for adoption and placed in loving forever homes. But poisoning them is bloody rather than cleansing.