A mother and son were booked by the rural police in Pune on Thursday for allegedly killing their pet dog by hanging it from a tree. The alleged incident took place in Pirangut area of ​​Mulshi tehsil in Pune. The case was registered against Prabhavati Jagtap and her son Omkar Jagtap, who had the dog with them for 8 years.

The incident drew attention after Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray flagged the incident on X (formerly Twitter). “Just came across a very, very heartbreaking picture of a dog being hanged to death by its owner’s family in Pune. I am shocked beyond words to see how people can act like this. Beyond elections and other stress of duty, I appeal to @PuneCityPolice to take strict action against those guilty of this. It is inhumane. Pets are family too,” wrote Aaditya Thackeray.

I just came across a very heartbreaking picture of a dog being hanged to death by its owner’s family in Pune.
I am shocked beyond words to see how people can act like this.

Beyond the election and other stress of debt, I appeal to @PuneCityPolice take strict measures…

— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) October 22, 2024

According to a PTI report, Paud Road Police Station Senior Inspector Santosh Girigosavi said the incident took place on October 22 when Prabhavati allegedly attacked her pet Labrador with a stick. After this, her son Omkar hanged the canine from a tree. Girigosavi said they were booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

The complaint was filed by Padmini Stump, an animal activist who runs the Mission Possible Foundation, which operates a dog shelter.

According to PTI, Stump said the family initially called a dog lover from Pimpri and asked her to come and collect the dog. However, the duo later sent pictures of the dog hanging from a tree. Stump said she and the people with her were quick to register a crime against them.

While talking to ANI, she said that ten minutes after they asked for time for the arrangements, they received a message from Omkar Jagtap asking them not to send anyone along with a photo of the dog alive and a hanging dog video After Stump filed the FIR, she brought the dog to Pune City in her car for a post-mortem examination.

#CLOCK | Pune, Maharashtra | A pet dog beaten and hanged to death. An FIR has been registered under section 325 of the NBS and relevant sections of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act for further investigation.

Plaintiff Padmini Stump says, “I received a call from Farheen Sheikh that… pic.twitter.com/c9LdSIhmSB

— ANI (@ANI) October 25, 2024

When asked why the family decided to kill the dog, one of the reasons Stump highlighted was that the dog’s veterinarian suggested a rabies test. “Assuming the pet has rabies, it might have killed it,” she said. Meanwhile, the autopsy revealed the dog had been beaten and hanged “mercilessly,” Stump claimed.