Rescued Huskies Remain Stuck in Gajularamaram Shelter Pending Court Orders

Twelve rescued dogs, including 11 Siberian huskies and a German Shepherd, remain confined to a shelter in Gajularamaram, Hyderabad, nearly two months after they were rescued. The animals cannot be put up for adoption due to ongoing legal and administrative delays, despite receiving over 500 adoption inquiries. The dogs were originally rescued from the Shankarpally–Patancheru road near Bhanur on April 29, and their abandonment has been linked to individuals associated with the Calvary Temple in Miyapur.

Volunteers from the Animal Shelter for Rescue Aid (AASRA) rescued the dogs following a distress call. One of the dogs later died from severe dehydration. Following an investigation, four caretakers and drivers associated with the Calvary Temple in Miyapur were arrested on June 7. They were accused of breeding the dogs and abandoning them when they grew older and space became insufficient.

Despite high public interest in adopting the surviving dogs, they are stuck in legal limbo. Harsh Kishore Bhatnagar, the founder of the Shakuntala Society for Animal Welfare and Nature (SWAN), stated that a chargesheet must be filed and a court order obtained before the dogs can be legally adopted. He noted that the shelter is not a suitable long-term environment for the animals.

Jurisdictional complications have further slowed the process. Although the premises where the dogs were abandoned fall under the Miyapur police jurisdiction, animal welfare groups were directed to the Bhanur police. BDL Bhanur Police Inspector Vijay Krishna confirmed that the case registered in Bhanur only covers the abandonment of the animals under Section 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 11(1)(i) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. The chargesheet has not yet been filed.

Inspector Krishna explained that any separate case regarding illegal breeding at the church must be registered by the Miyapur police. In the meantime, police have contacted the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation to check if the church management held valid breeding and maintenance licences.

Gowri Vandana, the founder of AASRA, expressed concern over the authorities' handling of the situation, stating that activists were informed no valid breeding licence existed. She argued that the focus has remained on the rescue itself rather than addressing the illegal breeding.

Currently, the surviving dogs are recovering at the Gajularamaram shelter. SWAN plans to sterilise the dogs once they are medically fit. Bhatnagar stated that the organisation intends to adopt out the dogs in pairs to preserve their established social bonds.