Residents of Lawspet in Puducherry found themselves in a panic a week ago, when two men on a bike warned that a tiger was roaming loose in the area. In addition to this alarm, images of the supposed ‘tiger’ were shared on social media platforms. Police, responding to the situation, reviewed CCTV footage in an attempt to locate the tiger, only to realise that it was actually a stray dog painted with orange and black stripes. The police are on the lookout for the two men who painted the dog and left it on the streets. “Given the absence of tiger habitat in this area, there’s no likelihood of a tiger wandering into this locality. It appears that certain individuals painted a stray dog with orange and black stripes to mimic a tiger. In the darkness, residents mistook it for a wild animal. We have initiated a search for the dog, and our investigations indicate that it resides near the Puducherry-Tamil Nadu border. Thus far, we haven’t received any formal complaints,” stated Lawspet police inspector Venkatachalapathy.
Advocate Karthikeyan from Puducherry said that this act was a crime as per the law. Talking to Local18, Karthikeyan said that even painting a street dog comes under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. He emphasised that severe punishment awaits those who engage in such behaviour. Puducherry police stressed that individuals participating in such activities should face arrest. They urged the public to report any instances of animal abuse seen on social media directly to the police stations, instead of just passively observing them.
He noted that there are significant penalties for such misconduct, with fines imposed under the IPC Act for first time offences. For repeat offences, individuals could face imprisonment for one or two years. Advocate Karthikeyan expressed that implementing such punishments would foster a culture of affection and care towards pets and animals among the populace.
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