Cops probe ‘mass killing of dogs’ in city college

Personnel from the Nungambakkam police and members of animal rights outfit, Blue Cross, are jointly probing inside Loyola College campus after receiving information about the disappearance of a number of dogs had gone missing from the premises. There are suspicions that the missing dogs could have been culled and buried in the campus itself.

When the rumour that a large number of dogs were allegedly poisoned to death inside Loyola Campus reached Dawn Williams, the general manager of animal rights and welfare organisation, Blue Cross, he immediately passed on the information to the Nungambakkam police station. Though the rumours said as many as 100 dogs were feared to have been killed, police officers, after a preliminary inquiry, said four dogs are believed to be missing from the campus. The team is trying to trace the animals, police said.

Nungambakkam Assistant Commissioner Muthuvelpandi told DT Next that they have received a complaint and were inquiring whether dogs were killed and buried within the campus. “A team of police personnel has gone to the college for inquiry. As of now, it is only a rumour,” he said.

Sources on the campus said it was the hostel students who noticed on Monday that dozens of dogs were missing. Some of them heard unconfirmed reports that the dogs were poisoned, leading to a flutter in the campus. “We are not sure whether they were poisoned to death or taken away by the Corporation officials. But we want to know what happened to them,” said a student on condition of anonymity.

Some students also posted updates about the matter on social media networks, but the college administration allegedly asked them to remove them. When contacted, Loyola College administration rejected the entire development as a rumour.