Acid thrown on dog nursing puppies; NGO seeks action

Lucknow: Acid was thrown on a stray dog that delivered puppies a couple of days back in Phool Wali Gali in Chowk on Thursday night. An animal welfare NGO sought police action and regulation of sale and storage of acid in the locality.According to the organisation, residents informed about the incident late night. Volunteers found the dog with chemical burns. It had recently given birth to six puppies. NGO members said this was third such case reported from the locality in recent months and raised concern over availability of acid in nearby shops, where it is used for occupational work. Containers are often kept in open or accessible spaces. The group said such handling increased risk of misuse and accidents involving animals and people.After receiving alert, NGO volunteer Amar Rajput reached the spot. The dog was given first aid and shifted to a veterinary facility for treatment. It was admitted for burn management and infection control."We found the dog in pain, with burns across a large part of the body. It had delivered puppies a couple of days ago. Our priority was to move it for treatment," said Rajput.Residents of the area, including Nida, said attacks on stray dogs had occurred earlier too. Another resident, Rahman Ali, said the act should be investigated. ACP, Chowk, Raj Kumar Singh, informed, "We received application complaining about the incident and police are probing the incident." The NGO requested police to take cognisance, identify those involved and monitor acid sale and storage practices in the area.