Hyderabad: A dog’s death has put two vets in the dock. That is because it was no ordinary dog, so to say. It belonged to a VVIP.
The 11-month old Siberian Husky dog was one of the pet dogs in chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s camp office Pragathi Bhavan and its sudden death has been taken seriously. A police complaint was lodged against the veterinarians treating the dog, blaming them for its death.
Police sources told TOI that a post-mortem was conducted on the dog.
“The investigation is one and action will be taken against the vets if any negligence by them is established,” Banjara Hills inspector Kalinga Rao said when contacted. A case was filed against veterinarian’s Dr Rajith and Lakshmi of a private animal care clinic in Banjara Hills road no. 4. They were booked under section IPC 429 Section 429 reads: Whoever commits mischief by killing, poisoning, maiming or rendering useless, any elephant, camel, horse, mule, buffalo, bull, cow or ox, whatever may be the value thereof, of any other animal of the value of fifty rupees or upwards, shall be punished with imprisonment or either description for a term which may extend to five years, or with fine, or with both.
Husky was said to be one of the nine peg dogs at Pragathi Bhavan and were being taken care of by a dog handle Asif Ali Khan. On September 10, it was reportedly noticed by the dog handler that Husky was not feeling well. It also stopped eating that evening. When it did not even drink milk the following morning on September 11, the vets who were called examined it and found that it had 101 degrees temperature and it was given some tonic. However, when the dogs condition deteriorated, it was taken to the animal clinic at Banjara Hills died there itself.
Alleging negligence on the part of the vets, the dog handler Asif Ali Khan lodged a complaint with Banjara Hills police on September 12.
Malkajigiri MP A Revanth Reddy of the Congress commenting about the police case against vets for the death of a pet dog in Pragathi Bhavan said while the life of a pet dog in Pragathi Bhavan was considered valuable, there was no value for human life in ‘golden Telangana’.
The vets against whom the police booked a case were not available. The Animal Care Clinic staff at Road no. 4, Banjara Hills said while Dr Ranjith was on leave, the founder-director of the clinic Dr Lakshmi Srinivas was not in city.