Pet dog in labour abandoned on Chennai road, saved by vets

Many animal rescuers also claimed a steep rise in cases of people abandoning their dogs and birds on the streets or at shelters. However, a heart-rending incident has brought to the fore a gross case of animal abuse.

A pregnant dog that went into labour was abandoned by its owners at MRC Nagar in RA Puram after the dog developed complications during delivery. A couple from the locality was taking their pet dog for a walk around 6 pm when they found the pregnant dog on Thursday left on the roadside with a leash and a bowl of food nearby and suffering from labour pain. Upon noticing the dog having a uterine collapse, they immediately alerted animal activist Karthika (name changed) who rushed to the spot. “When I reached, the dog had already given birth to three puppies but her uterus had come out of her body and she was suffering immensely. Someone dumped her in this condition at the roadside and disappeared,” she said.

The activist immediately called Besant Memorial Animal Dispensary and took the mother and her litter to the clinic where veterinarians performed an emergency surgery. “We did an emergency surgery and removed the uterus to avoid infection. The mother and her three puppies are doing ok now,” said a vet at the dispensary. Timely intervention saved the dog and her puppies.

Meanwhile, animal activists in the city were shocked at the cruelty of the pet owner to have dumped the dog in such a condition. “We have witnessed a lot of pets being abandoned by their owners but have not come across any situation where a pregnant dog was abandoned during labour. Dogs giving birth on the roadside are normal but when it is suffering from any condition post-delivery, it should be rushed to a veterinary facility,” said Vinod Kumar, General Manager (Admin), Blue Cross of India.