Hyderabad: The first day of class after the Sankranti festival at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Warangal, should have begun like any other, except it didn’t. At 10.30 am on 17 January, a Saturday, the quiet that usually prevails on the campus, momentarily broken only by the sounds of bells and hurried student footsteps, was shattered by screams and clamour from the hostel wings.
The commotion followed the arrival of a squad of dog catchers, allegedly invited by a hostel warden. The squad had descended on the campus to trap and remove stray dogs.
Speaking to ThePrint, Goutham Adulapuram, a cruelty prevention manager with NGO Stray Animal Foundation of India—who later lodged a police complaint in the matter on 19 January—claimed the squad had planned to relocate around 30 dogs illegally to an undisclosed location.
According to students, the dog catchers were armed with metal wires, ropes, and sticks, and were seen dragging stray dogs into a vehicle. The students alleged the animals were being taken away “to starve and maim them”, a claim they attributed to instructions from the warden.
The operation was reportedly meant to be completed within an hour, but students rushed out of their hostels after witnessing the treatment of their “four-legged hostel mates”, interrupting the process with loud protests. Students claimed they saw dogs being prodded with sticks, loaded onto a vehicle, and some allegedly injected with drugs to check their barking.
A call made by one of the students to Goutham reportedly led to the operation being halted, following which the injured dogs were released. An FIR has since been registered against the warden.
The NIT administration and the warden could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts.
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The ‘culling’
The complaint lodged by Goutham at the Kazipet police station in Warangal is not, according to animal welfare activists, an isolated instance of alleged cruelty and killing of dogs in the region.
In a separate complaint lodged in December 2025 when such instances first came to light, over 200 dogs were allegedly buried under mounds of soil at a village graveyard in Pathipaka.
Pathipaka is a village with a population of under 1,000 in Telangana’s Hanumakonda district. The area is now said to be inhabited by only a few residents, machinery, and cattle.
Connected by a single arterial road, the village first made headlines last December after reports emerged of an alleged illegal operation to eliminate street dogs. Animal rights activists claim the action followed a promise made by the village sarpanch during local body elections. The sarpanch had allegedly said that he would get the issue addressed if voted to power.
In the Pathipaka case, the accused, including the sarpanch, have been booked under sections 11(1) (a) (i) and 325 r/w of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, dealing with prevention of cruelty to animals.
What began as an isolated incident has since allegedly evolved into an informal operation, with so-called “killer squads” functioning covertly, police personnel and village secretaries said, requesting anonymity. Additional FIRs filed at Bhoompally and Charakonda police stations allege that dogs were injured before being released into nearby forests by dog catchers.
ThePrint visited over 12 districts in Telangana following reports of such incidents and accessed more than eight FIRs filed since early January.
Animal rights activists allege that nearly 1,500 dogs have been killed over the past month, claiming that sarpanches across the state are hiring dog catchers from Andhra Pradesh to sedate and cull stray dogs. According to activists, the cost is approximately Rs 200 per dog, with village administrations paying up to Rs 45,000 per operation. The dogs are allegedly killed by overdosing them with anaesthetic drugs, with the squads operating in small batches to avoid scrutiny.
“One operation was carried out before the Panchayat election and another after, in December. It (dogs) had become too much of a nuisance,” said Pathipaka resident K. Surendra, adding that villagers pressured the sarpanch to intervene after packs of stray dogs allegedly attacked goats, children, and poultry.
“I lost six lambs and four small goats in just a week. Our livelihoods were affected,” said Prashant Yadav, a local.
A rise in similar incidents in neighbouring Arepally village allegedly prompted another operation. Animal rights activists claim nearly 300 dogs were buried near a village lake used for agricultural water.
Arepally village headman P. Ramulu said putting the dogs to sleep was the only option left after two youths were allegedly chased by a pack of dogs and sustained head injuries.
Animal welfare activists Rajani and Anitha, volunteers with the Stray Animal Foundation of India (SAFI), said dogs have been disappearing from several villages under Shayampet mandal. They claimed to have visited multiple sites where dogs were reportedly buried.
Describing the alleged modus operandi, the activists said that the dog catchers arrive in pairs carrying a syringe attached to a long stick. Pretending to feed the animals, they allegedly inject them with anaesthetic drugs before loading the dogs onto farm tractors and dumping them in pits on village outskirts. The drugs are reportedly transported in ice boxes, with suppliers remaining undisclosed.
These operations are said to occur in early mornings or late afternoons. Activists claimed more villages have begun following suit after sarpanches shared accounts of “successful” operations. In Nirmal district, a sarpanch is alleged to have paid Rs 60,000 for a one-time operation to eliminate stray dogs.
According to activists, the dog catchers keep interactions with villagers to a minimum and leave within hours to avoid police action. Locals claimed, based on accents, that the squads hail from Andhra Pradesh, possibly from cities such as Nellore, Bobbili, and Ongole.
“They now carry visiting cards and distribute them, seeing how lucrative this has become,” said Anitha, adding that pamphlets promising to address the stray dog issue were circulated during municipal elections.
No fixes yet
Animal welfare activists said they have played a key role in lodging complaints across multiple police stations, much to the displeasure of village officials.
They claimed Warangal and Hanumakonda districts account for nearly 500 of the alleged killings, with Siddipet, Nagarkurnool, Nirmal, Jagtial, and Ranga Reddy districts also reporting a rise since January.
Goutham Adulapuram said his team was documenting evidence across the state. “We are shocked by the scale and speed at which dogs are being killed. While complaints are being lodged, arrests have not followed,” he said.
He further alleged that sarpanches and village secretaries may be misleading the police and providing inaccurate information.
Police officials said no arrests have been made so far.
A sub-inspector at Shayampet police station said authorities were struggling to address the issue. “We see villagers being bitten, and at the same time, dogs being killed. Our hands are tied,” he said.
In 2024, Telangana reported over 1.25 lakh dog-bite cases. Despite fears of rabies and skin diseases, villagers claim government intervention has been inadequate.
A shortage of dog shelters, veterinary clinics, and trained veterinarians has further compounded the problem.
Minister for Women and Child Welfare, Panchayati Raj and Rural Development, Danasari Seethakka, last week condemned the killing of dogs while emphasising the need to protect human lives. While the government said it was monitoring the situation, no concrete measures were announced.
More than five animal welfare organisations are jointly documenting cases and assisting with police complaints. According to activists from Aasra, SAFI, and Blue Cross, their teams are preparing to submit evidence in court.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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