More than 1,200 stray dogs have been killed across Telangana in the past month, mostly through poisoning, triggering police cases, protests by animal welfare groups and renewed scrutiny of how street animals are managed in India amid claims linking the killings to gram panchayat election promises.
The killings have been reported from multiple districts, including Hanumakonda, Kamareddy, Jagtial, Ranga Reddy and Nagarkurnool, with activists alleging that the actual toll could be higher due to under-reporting, particularly in remote villages. At least 10 monkeys have also been killed during the same period.
In Pathipaka village of Hanumakonda district, around 200 street dogs were allegedly poisoned and buried. The incident came to light on January 25 after locals alerted animal activists to carcasses found near the village.
On January 9, police registered a case after about 300 dogs were found dead in Arepally village under Shayampet police station. The village sarpanch, secretary and others were booked under Section 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 11(1)(a) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, which deal with killing or poisoning animals by a group of people.
Similar incidents have been reported from Nagarkurnool district’s Thimmaipally village, where around 100 dogs were allegedly killed using poisonous injections earlier this month.
Animal welfare activists have linked the surge in killings to gram panchayat elections held in November–December, alleging that several candidates promised voters they would remove stray dogs and monkeys if elected.
Also read: 300 stray dogs killed in Telangana; 9 booked
“Mass killing of 900 stray dogs by local ruling bodies in Telangana by lethal injections and burial is criminal cruelty. Yes, India has a serious stray dog problem. But however slow and frustrating it feels, ABC, vaccination and sheltering are the only legal, scientific paths. Lynching animals to project ‘action’ degrades us as people and as a society,” Prasanna Viswanathan wrote on X.
Another user, Shiva, wrote, “I'm not an activist or a PETA supporter, or a dog lover or anything like that (I'm just a human with some empathy). But this is exactly what incompetent, lazy, and corrupt authorities do when they've already spent the money allocated for vaccinating, sterilising, or sheltering stray dogs, and now choose the easiest, most inhumane option: killing them. What kind of society does that?”
The issue has also drawn attention against the backdrop of rising dog bite cases nationwide and ongoing judicial scrutiny. Over the past year, the Supreme Court has heard multiple petitions related to street dogs and has directed local bodies to catch, sterilise and shelter strays, particularly near schools, hospitals and busy roads, and to clear highways of stray animals to prevent accidents.
Activists argue that these directions are not being implemented on the ground and that the Telangana killings highlight systemic failures in enforcing animal protection laws.
On January 27, animal welfare activists and environmentalists held a terahvi ceremony in Delhi to mourn the killed dogs and demand accountability.
Campaigners have reiterated that sterilisation, rabies vaccination, sheltering and community awareness under the Animal Birth Control Rules remain the only lawful and effective way to manage street dog populations.
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