A shocking case of alleged institutional negligence and animal cruelty has surfaced at a Municipal Corporation-run dog shelter in Chandigarh, where a pregnant stray dog — illegally confined for nearly 60 days — reportedly consumed one of her newborn puppies and partially devoured another, which was still alive at the time.The disturbing incident, which came to light around 5 PM, was first formally flagged by animal activist and prime complainant Saarthak Jain, whose intervention drew nearly 15 animal welfare volunteers to the facility, triggering a standoff with municipal authorities that lasted close to five hours.Confined 20 times the legal limitAccording to Saarthak Jain, the rules governing Municipal Corporation dog shelters stipulate a maximum confinement period of three days for any dog brought into the facility. The female dog at the centre of this controversy had, however, been kept caged for approximately 60 days — twenty times the permissible limit. During this prolonged and unlawful detention, the dog fell pregnant and delivered puppies inside the cage.Jain and fellow volunteers allege that extreme stress, inadequate feeding, poor monitoring, and the relentlessly confined environment pushed the mother dog to a point of severe psychological and physical distress, ultimately causing her to consume one puppy the previous day. A second puppy was partially consumed on Monday; volunteers present at the scene confirmed the second animal was alive when the incident occurred.Officer ‘refused’ site visit despite multiple callsVolunteers have squarely held Dr. Gaurav, the designated Nodal Officer of the Municipal Corporation overseeing the shelter’s administration, responsible for the catastrophic failure in oversight. According to Saarthak Jain, Dr. Gaurav was alerted to the crisis through multiple channels — including calls from police personnel responding to a dial-112 complaint, from volunteers on the ground, and from members of his own staff. Despite this, the officer allegedly refused to come to the site.When volunteers arrived and began seeking answers, they found no municipal employee present at the facility whatsoever. Jain further revealed that during night hours, the shelter operates with only a caretaker and a security guard on duty, with no designated official from the Municipal Corporation responsible for oversight — a glaring administrative vacuum that volunteers say made this tragedy inevitable.Volunteers hold ground, demand accountabilitySaarthak Jain, along with fellow activists Meenakshi Malik, Monica, Mohan, Aryan, and approximately ten other volunteers, remained stationed at the facility and raised a pointed set of demands. They sought immediate answers to three core questions: why the dog was held for 60 days in violation of the three-day rule; why no municipal employee was present on the premises when the crisis unfolded; and what conditions and decisions drove the mother dog to such a state of extreme distress.After waiting nearly five hours, not a single official representative from the Municipal Corporation appeared to address their concerns. The matter has since been formally escalated through police intervention.The female dog remains confined at the shelter. Saarthak Jain and the volunteers have demanded her immediate and humane care, an independent and fully transparent inquiry into the administration of the facility, and strict accountability for the officials responsible — beginning with the Nodal Officer.”This is not just cruelty — this is institutional failure,” Jain said. “A living, pregnant animal was locked away and forgotten. The system failed her completely.”The Municipal Corporation and Dr. Gaurav’s response could not be obtained at the time of filing this report.
