The incidents of mass killing of stray dogs in villages of Telangana have continued to come to light. Reportedly, around 200 dogs were allegedly poisoned to death in Pathipaka village of Hanumakonda district. The suspected toll of stray dogs killed across Telangana villages over the past month has crossed 1,000. It has triggered concerns over organised animal cruelty linked to local elections.
The most recent case is suspected to have taken place nearly a month ago during the recently concluded gram panchayat elections. However, it came to light only after locals alerted animal welfare activists about buried carcasses near the village outskirts.
Allegations against gram panchayat officials
Animal activists have claimed to have visited the village. A Goutam of the Stray Animal Foundation of India said he visited Pathipaka village with other members after receiving information about the killings. He claimed the villagers told him that the dogs were brutally killed on the orders of the local panchayat secretary. The bodies were reportedly buried at a specific location, which activists claimed to have verified before approaching the police to seek registration of an FIR.
Animal welfare groups suspect that the killings were carried out to fulfil election promises made by candidates who assured villagers that the threats posed by stray dogs and monkeys would be eliminated. While monkeys are usually captured and relocated to forests, stray dogs were allegedly poisoned using syringes while they sleep, following which they die within minutes.
Pattern emerging across districts
The Pathipaka case is the second such incident reported this month from villages under the Shayampet police station limits. Earlier, on 9 January, police registered an FIR following allegations that nearly 300 dogs were killed in Arepally village in the same region.
Jakkula Parameshwar, Sub Inspector at Shayampet police station, said that since both cases fall under the same jurisdiction and are suspected to involve the same perpetrators, the police have decided to modify the earlier FIR to include details of the latest case. He added that the buried carcasses would be exhumed and sent for post mortem examination.
In the Arepally case, police booked the village sarpanch, secretary, and others under Section 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 11(1)(a) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
Rs 500 per dog and organised execution
Activists have claimed that those who kill the dogs charge around Rs 500 per dog. It includes the cost of poisoning and disposal. Over the past fifteen days, at least four such cases have been reported from villages in Kamareddy, Jagtial, Hanumakonda, and Ranga Reddy districts, accounting for nearly 900 dog deaths.
Stray dog attacks in Telangana
Telangana has a serious stray dog problem. Since 2020, the state has seen a sharp rise in reported cases of stray dog bite incidents. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic when the country was in lockdown, the state reported 82,954 cases. In 2021, the state reported 53,149 cases and saw a sharp rise the next year with 92,923 cases in 2022, followed by 1,19,010 in 2023 and 1,21,997 in 2024. By the month of June 2025, there were 81,861 cases of dog bites in the state.
