Mumbai News: Ghatkopar Pet Shop Employee Booked For Brutal Beating Of Shih Tzu, Leaving Dog Permanently Blind In One Eye

Mumbai: A shocking case of animal cruelty has come to light in Ghatkopar, where a pet shop employee allegedly beat a Shih Tzu dog with a wooden stick, leaving the animal permanently blind in one eye. The Pant Nagar police have registered a case against the accused employee, Mukesh Dwivedi.

The Shop Owner Files the Complaint

According to the FIR, the complainant, Dharamik Jatin Shah, 35, resides in Ghatkopar East and runs a pet shop named Romeo Pet Store at Garodia Shopping Centre in Garodia Nagar, Ghatkopar East. The shop sells pet food and accessories and also offers boarding facilities for pet owners who need temporary care for their animals.

Shah had employed five workers at the shop to look after the animals, including Mukesh Dwivedi, Jitendra Patel, Aastha Badra, Bhupan and Anjana Tawde.

Between March 1 and March 4, Shah’s acquaintance, Dr. Nikunj Shah, requested him to keep his two Shih Tzu dogs at the store while he was away. On March 1 at around 4:30 pm, a shop worker was sent to Dr. Shah’s residence to bring the two dogs to the store, where their care was entrusted to the staff.

The Night of the Attack

On the night of March 3 at around 8:30 pm, one of the employees called Dharamik Shah and informed him that one of the dogs had sustained a serious injury to its left eye. Shah rushed to the shop and questioned the staff about the incident.

During the inquiry, it was revealed that Mukesh Dwivedi had struck the dog with a wooden stick. CCTV footage from the shop reportedly showed that between 7:30 pm and 8:00 pm, the dog barked at Dwivedi, following which he hit the animal.

A Race to Save the Dog's Sight

The injured dog was immediately taken to Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Hospital for Animals in Parel, for primary treatment. Doctors there advised that the dog be examined by an eye specialist due to the severity of the injury.

Following the recommendation, the dog was taken to VET 7 Animal Eye Hospital, Shivaji Park, Dadar West, where Doctors confirmed that the dog’s left eye had been permanently damaged and advised surgery.

Owner Informed, Dog Returned

Shah informed the dog’s owner, Dr. Nikunj Shah, about the incident. Later, the owner’s relative collected the two dogs and took them back home.

When confronted, the accused employee claimed that the dog had barked and lunged at him while he was cleaning it, and that he struck the animal with a stick in self-defense. However, he later left the job.

Subsequently, Dharamik Shah filed a complaint at the Pant Nagar police station. Police have registered a case against Mukesh Dwivedi under Section 11(1)(C) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and Section 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act. Further investigation is underway.

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