Noida: Bhairav the dog, hailed by some as “divine” after a video of him circling an idol of Hanuman in Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor was circulated on social media, was in fact gravely ill, the veterinarian treating the canine in Delhi-NCR has said.
His “holy” act of circling the idol was driven not by faith, but by a tick-borne bacterial infection that had possibly affected his brain, the veterinarian said.
Sanjay Mohapatra, founder of House of Stray Animals, who is looking after Bhairav at his shelter home in Noida, said “the animal would have died if not for the rescue”.
A local dog rescue group, with help from the administration, brought eight-month-old Bhairav to Delhi for treatment on 17 January after the video went viral and word spread that the canine was a manifestation of Shiva, the Hindu god.
After a nearly four-hour journey, Bhairav was first taken to Max Vets in Delhi’s East of Kailash and then transferred to Mohapatra’s shelter.
During treatment, doctors ran several tests to understand the dog’s illness and behaviour.
An ultrasound of his abdomen revealed that his intestines were swollen, vet Shubham Katiyar told ThePrint. The food offered to him at the temple by devotees, which included gajar ka halwa, puri and more, had probably inflamed his digestive system, causing gastrointestinal problems.
The dog was named Bhairav (another name for Shiva) by locals and devotees after he was spotted continuously circling a Hanuman idol in Bijnor on 11 January, and then moved to a nearby temple where he was seen walking around the idols of Shiva and Durga, locals told ThePrint.
📍Bijnor: A dog has been continuously performing parikrama of Hanumanji Murti for over 36 hours, resting briefly before resuming.
Devotees have gathered in large numbers to witness this devotional moment ❤️ pic.twitter.com/csqcDuzMje
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) January 15, 2026
In the videos, the dog looks frail, with his tail down. The clip drew the attention of dog lovers and vets. Bhairav currently weighs a little over 14 kg, which makes him underweight for his age, according to the vet.
“The food given to the animal by devotees deteriorated his health further. Had he not been rescued, he would have died sleeping at the temple,” Mohapatra told ThePrint.
Even while travelling to Delhi, Bhairav’s condition was not stable. According to the caregiver who was with the canine, Bhairav was vomiting.
A blood test revealed that Bhairav had anaplasma in his blood, a tick-borne bacterial infection that invades white blood cells. It is commonly known as tick fever. Symptoms usually vary, ranging from fever to lethargy, joint pain and loss of appetite. It can also lead to bleeding issues or neurological disorders.
Katiyar said there was high probability that Bhairav was circling the idols because of infection affecting the brain. “The bacteria can affect the brain, and it is very common in dogs,” he said.
Bhairav is recovering well at the shelter home. He does not have a fever anymore and is eating properly. There are plans to take him back to Bijnor in the coming days.
“It is not advisable to relocate the canine, hence we have to take him back to the temple. But we will make sure that it is taken care of there,” said Mohapatra.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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