A 14-year-old community dog fights for life after a man allegedly beat him with a baseball bat in Sector 14 Market, Sonipat. The attack has sparked outrage among animal lovers and welfare groups across Delhi-NCR, who now demand strict action.
Eyewitnesses say a 29-year-old man, reportedly a business owner from Gurugram, was in the market with friends when he stepped on the elderly dog’s tail. The dog barked in pain. The dog was neutered, vaccinated, and lived under a paan shop in the market.
Eyewitnesses allege the man returned later with a baseball bat and beat the helpless animal repeatedly. The attack allegedly caused severe injuries, extensive facial trauma, broken teeth, and damage to one eye. Veterinarians say they may need to remove the injured eye surgically.
Rescuers found the dog bleeding heavily and in extreme distress. Street Life NGO, Sonipat, rescued him and rushed him for emergency medical treatment.
“We had tears in our eyes seeing his condition,” said Pardeep Garg, founder of Street Life NGO, Sonipat. “He is already 14 years old. He has lost his eye, his teeth are broken, he cannot eat solid food anymore, and he is in deep trauma. At this age, he may not survive much longer.”
Manaswita Sachdeva, animal activist and team member at Street Life NGO, has known the dog since he was a puppy. She described him as exceptionally gentle.
“I have seen this dog since he was a puppy. He is extremely docile and always sits quietly in a corner without troubling anyone. That is why, for so many years, no one in that market ever had a problem with him,” Sachdeva said.
According to a complaint filed with Sector 27 Police Station, Kulwinder, a resident of Sector 15, witnessed the incident. He stated that he saw the young man brutally beating the dog with sticks on the road. When people from the surrounding area gathered after hearing the dog’s cries, the accused allegedly picked up the sticks and fled in his Creta car, reportedly threatening those present.
The complainant provided the vehicle number to police and demanded strict legal action. Police have started investigating and are working to identify the accused.
The accused claims the dog bit him and has circulated a photograph showing a minor mark on his foot. However, eyewitnesses dispute this claim. They say the mark looks more like a human nail scratch than a dog bite. Animal welfare advocates stress that even if an animal reacts in pain, nothing justifies such violent retaliation.
Manjit Tihara of Rakshak Sena reacted strongly to the incident, describing it as “a disgrace to humanity.” He said, “People who openly harm defenseless animals to satisfy their ego can be dangerous for society. Such people should be immediately arrested and sent to jail.”
Tihara also urged the Sonipat Municipal Corporation and Sector 14 Market Committee to install CCTV cameras in parking lots and public places for immediate action in such incidents. He noted that while shopkeepers have installed cameras in their shops, they hesitate to come forward alone for security reasons.
Animal welfare groups point out that Indian law legally protects community dogs. Yet enforcement remains weak and penalties fail to deter repeat offences.
Manaswita Sachdeva questioned the moral imbalance in how society treats community animals. “People often quote Supreme Court observations about removing stray dogs from public places, but no one talks about who removed animals from their natural homes in the first place. These streets, markets, and buildings were once open land. Humans took everything. The animals were left with nowhere else to go.”
She further said, “If coexistence feels difficult, then maybe it is not animals that need to be removed from public places, but people who cannot live peacefully in them.”
“Today, the penalty for brutally beating an animal can be as low as โน50. When an animal can lose an eye, break teeth, and be pushed towards death for such a small amount, it sends a message that animal lives are worth almost nothing.”
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