INDIA
Kerala High Court Orders Monthly Reporting On Stray Dog Management
The Kerala High Court has ordered a high-level monitoring committee to report to the court every month on how local authorities are implementing Supreme Court directions concerning stray dogs.
The reporting format goes beyond simply recording whether action has been taken. Local authorities will be classified according to whether they have complied, partly complied or failed to comply with the directions, with reasons required where implementation is incomplete.
Crucially, the reports must also state the number of dogs euthanised, if any.
The committee must compile the information and file it with the High Court by the tenth day of each month, with the court continuing to review the issue monthly.
GHANA
Ghana Begins Free Vaccination Of 25,000 Dogs And Cats Against Rabies
Ghana has launched a nationwide mass rabies vaccination campaign targeting 25,000 dogs and cats in identified high-risk areas.
The Veterinary Services Department of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture is providing the vaccinations free throughout September as part of Ghana’s work towards eliminating human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030.
UNITED STATES
Eleven Dogs Left In Abandoned Home As Couple Face Felony Cruelty Charges
A couple in Mayflower, Arkansas, are facing 11 felony counts each of aggravated animal cruelty after authorities discovered 11 dogs in an abandoned property.
According to court records reported by local media, police were alerted after a neighbour became concerned about dogs left at the property after the occupants had moved out.
An investigating detective reported finding extremely thin dogs, some confined in rooms or kennels, with sores. The dogs ranged from puppies to adults.
All 11 were removed, but the consequences did not end with their rescue. Four reportedly died within days.
UNITED STATES
Woman Charged After Year-Old Dog Abuse Video Resurfaces Online
A 22-year-old woman in Waterbury, Connecticut, has been charged with felony animal cruelty after a year-old video resurfaced on social media.
Police said the footage appeared to show two dogs being abused while confined in a cage. The video reappeared online on 28 August and prompted an investigation by police and animal control.
Authorities subsequently located the dogs at another address. They reported that both were in good health, showed no signs of current abuse or neglect, and were no longer in the woman’s custody or contact.
The woman was arrested and charged with malicious or intentional cruelty to animals.
UNITED STATES
Nearly 250 Shelter Dogs Went To One Rescue. Now That Rescue Faces Cruelty Charges
An investigation in Georgia has raised serious questions about what happens after animals leave the municipal shelter system.
Records examined by Atlanta News First show that nearly 250 dogs were transferred from four metro Atlanta county shelters to Cane-9 Rescue over an eight-month period.
The rescue is now facing animal-cruelty charges after authorities and animal-rescue workers reportedly found dozens of dogs in hazardous conditions.
AUSTRALIA
Dog Found Weighing Just 11kg Recovers As Owner Receives Seven-Year Animal Ban
A severely underweight dog rescued in northern Tasmania has recovered after a case that has now resulted in its former owner being prohibited from owning animals for seven years.
RSPCA inspectors attended after concerns about the dog’s condition were reported. The animal weighed just 11 kilograms and was assessed at one out of nine on the body-condition scale before being seized and taken for emergency veterinary treatment.
The owner pleaded guilty to two animal-cruelty charges involving failure to provide adequate food and water and failure to obtain appropriate veterinary treatment.
The Devonport Magistrates Court imposed a 12-month community correction order, a seven-year prohibition on owning animals and more than $6,400 in RSPCA costs.
Most importantly, the dog survived. RSPCA Tasmania says she has recovered in its care and will be rehomed.
End of Bulletin