Animal rights activists are searching Aarey Milk Colony, Goregaon, for a lonely white spitz that was photographed roaming in the forest last week. It is suspected that the dog, which had a leash around its neck, was abandoned in the forest by its owners. Meanwhile, an animal rescuer who was assaulted last week at Aarey said that a medical examination has revealed that his eardrum was severely affected in the attack.
Reshma Shelatkar of the Aarey Conservation Group, an association campaigning for the preservation of the entire 1100 hectares of Aarey as a protected forest, said that heavy rains disrupted attempts to locate the dog during the weekend.
"One of our members saw him briefly near the New Zealand hostel and managed to photograph him. But he was obviously scared and disappeared in the thick vegetation before she could lure him closer. She went back to the site to search for him, but could not trace him," said Shelatkar. "Our feeders in the area are keeping a watch."
Police Investigation Underway
The rescuers are hoping that the dog found its way into one of the tribal villages in Aarey. Animal rights activists stated that the Aarey forest witnesses frequent cases of animals being abandoned. In April, an FIR was filed against residents of a Kandivali building who had picked up more than a dozen stray dogs, including puppies, alleging they were a nuisance, and transported them to Aarey. Animal rights activists managed to rescue most of the animals and relocated them to the place where they were picked up. Some of the animals were never found and are suspected to have been preyed upon by leopards from the neighbouring Sanjay Gandhi National Park, which uses Aarey as part of their territory.
Animal rights activists who have been consistently campaigning to stop the abandonment of hapless animals in Aarey have faced violence. Last week, Vijay Rangare, president of People For Animals and an honorary animal welfare officer, was assaulted by a group of unidentified people near the Royal Palms housing estate while he was searching for missing dogs. An FIR was filed at the Aarey police station.
Ongoing Awareness Campaigns
On Monday, Rangare, who is undergoing treatment for injuries sustained during the attack, posted on social media that a medical examination has revealed that his eardrum is severely affected. 'I have been prescribed medication for two weeks along with complete bed rest. The chances of recovery are limited, and if it does not heal within this period, surgery will be required," Rangare added.The Aarey police station said they have made progress in the assault cases and have arrested suspects.
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