NAVI MUMBAI: Animal feeders and activists continue to face passive and active aggression from animal haters in different parts of Navi Mumbai.
At Sukapur, Panvel, an animal lover was physically assaulted for walking his dog. An NC complaint has been registered. At Nerul (east), feeders have expressed shock at how five healthy stray dogs, along with a mother dog and five puppies suddenly and suspiciously disappeared from the Nerul bus depot.
Talking about the physical attack on him, the Sukapur-Malewadi resident, Supriyo Mondal, said: "I have adopted two stray dogs, who I regularly take for walks at night. However, some local villagers seem to get agitated only because i take my dogs from the public road in front of them. A group of women and men had charged at me and one woman slapped me, while also abusing me."
Mondal added that the Khandeshwar police station has only registered a non-cognizable complaint against his attackers and not an FIR.
"There seems to be exaggerated anger against animal lovers and feeders, which is very unfortunate," he added.
A Nerul based doctor and animal feeder, Dr Rajshri Pawar, said: "It is heartbreaking at times to find out that the dogs we feed on the streets are hit with sticks; even puppies are not spared. While the laws against animal cruelty do exist, our society will improve only if the basic feeling of compassion is there among the people for the street animals who have as much of a right to life as humans."
A city activist pointed: "While the civic bodies and municipalities do keep funds for sterilizations of dogs and cats, no government department is bothered about having foster homes for injured or old animals. Activists have to spend a major chunk of their own money to foster dogs and cats who need shelters." Complaints about the sudden disappearance of dogs from their regular places in Vashi, Nerul, Belapur, Kharghar, Panvel etc are also being filed with the civic bodies.
"There were at least five healthy and sterilized dogs inside Nerul bus depot in Nerul (east), besides a brown colored mother dog with five puppies. They have all suddenly and mysteriously disappeared from this site. We suspect that a private vehicle comes late at night to catch and dislocate the poor animals. This is illegal and highly cruel," said a Nerul resident.
Another feeder added that some of the former municipal corporators who want to stand for the upcoming elections in NMMC, also try to appease the haters by illegally managing to catch the dogs and pups.
A Panvel based feeder added that near the Orion Mall traffic junction on the main road, the motorists drive so rashly at night that often they hit the stray dogs why try to cross the road. "It is illegal to run over dogs, but it is still very difficult to persuade the law enforcers to take action against the rash drivers, who get some sadistic thrill to hurt animals," added the feeder.
