The local arm of animal rights organization PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) – PETA India on Thursday conducted a rescue operation against the Pune Society For The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and rescued 11 injured dogs and four 22-day-old puppies that were kept in unhygienic conditions. PETA India reported that one of the paralytic dogs was given euthanasia.

“We had visited the SPCA facility on Monday. It was discovered that the stray dogs that are brought to this place from across the city are kept in extremely unhygienic conditions. Basic needs, such as healthy food and clean drinking water are not taken care of. Many were injured with blood trickling from their wounds. While nine of the rescued dogs are critically ill or injured, the other two are mothers of the four puppies,” said Anuradha Sawhney, chief functionary, PETA India.

PETA India reported that the plight of 1.5-acre SPCA centre is miserable. The conditions of the buildings and enclosures for animal birth control and the dogs are deplorable.  

"How do you expect us to maintain the premises and the dogs or even pay the doctors with the nominal amount we manage to get? Even the PMC is supposed to pay us Rs 470 per dog, but they are not sending any dogs to us," said Lt Col Boman Amaria of the SPCA, whose main source of funds is its 60 members who donate Rs 1,000 per head per annum, and an interest-free loan of around Rs 2 lakh from Jeev Jaya Mahamandal, an organisation that funds animal shelters.