Budgam: Police have registered a case under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act after animal rights activists filed a complaint regarding a viral video showing a stray dog being beaten to death in Magam area of central Kashmir’s Budgam district, triggering sharp debate on social media over public safety and animal rights.
Officials said Magam Police Station registered FIR No. 57/2026 under provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 against persons seen in the viral video following a complaint lodged by animal rights activists.
The case relates to a video widely circulated on social media platforms in which a man is seen being attacked by a stray dog while passersby intervene in an attempt to rescue him.
In the video, the dog can allegedly be seen biting the man on the left side of his abdomen as people nearby attempt to separate the animal from the victim.
According to eyewitness accounts and local residents, some persons present at the scene allegedly hit the dog during the intervention, resulting in the animal’s death.
The incident later triggered reactions from animal rights activists, who termed the killing an act of cruelty and sought legal action against those involved.
Following the complaint, police initiated legal proceedings and registered the FIR at Magam police station.
However, the registration of the case has also generated strong reactions from sections of the public, particularly on social media, where many users defended the actions of the men seen in the video.
Several users argued that the intervention appeared aimed at saving the victim from a violent dog attack and questioned whether those attempting to rescue a person should face criminal proceedings.
The injured man, while speaking to reporters after the incident, reportedly displayed visible bite marks on his body and questioned the filing of the FIR against those who came to his help.
He justified the actions of the passersby, saying they intervened only to save him from the attacking dog.
Many social media users reacting to the viral video referred to earlier incidents in which stray dogs allegedly mauled children and injured residents in different districts.
Some citizens also questioned the response of animal rights activists, alleging that such groups often remain silent when people are attacked or killed in stray dog incidents.
Animal rights activists, however, have maintained that cruelty against animals cannot be justified and have called for lawful and humane mechanisms to address stray dog-related issues. [KNT]
