In a disturbing incident, 21 stray dogs were shot dead by unidentified perpetrators in a village in Telangana. An FIR has been filed under the Arms Act and the Animal Cruelty Act, but no suspects have been identified so far.

The incident occurred in Ponnakal village in Mahabubnagar district. The village is just 2 km away from a National Highway.

The unidentified assailants armed with firearms carried out the massacre, which also left several other dogs injured.

The Animal Husbandry Department conducted the post-mortem examination of the dead dogs, revealing the gruesome nature of the killings.

Addakal Sub-Inspector of Police, Srinivas, raised suspicion that the dogs were poisoned and shot at close range, possibly with locally-made weapons.

The absence of CCTV cameras in the village and along the highway has complicated the investigation. But authorities have initiated steps to install surveillance cameras.

A clues team has been deployed to gather evidence, including identifying the empty cartridges found at the scene.

The police also revealed that two dogs died without gunshot wounds, suggesting that they might have succumbed to poisoning.

Source: India Today