Says Dr S.N. Kapoor: ``A bitch in our locality had given birth to a litter. There were complaints about a pup which was snapping at and biting passerbys. On May 24, we called up Circle of Animal Lovers, an animal welfare organisation in Saket, but no one came to take away the animal.'' According to him, an hour later, his wife heard yelps. She found a badly battered pup, and her husband adds, she saw some boys (reportedly from L-Block) running away from the scene. The animal had been so badly battered that ``its eyes were popping out''.

Again, the couple called up Circle for Animal Lovers. The organisation expressed its helpless saying its van was already out in the field. So the couple took the pup to the Neb Sarai clinic. The couple left the animal there and went back home. The animal later died. They also filed an FIR at the Saket Police Station. ``We could not identify the boys because they were running away by the time we rushed out of the house,'' Kapoor said. The next day, the couple found another puppy in the litter limping badly. It had a deep gash in its paw. They rushed it to the clinic, where it was diagnosed with gangrene. ``The doctor told us that they may have to amputate the pup's leg, but it would survive,'' said Kapoor. It did not and died on May 31.

The day after that, the third pup and its mother came to their house for food. The animals were vomiting and appeared to be in pain. When they called up the hospital, they were referred to Friendicoes. Doctors there said the two had been poisoned and the pup had been beaten so much so that its backbone was damaged. The pup died the same day, the mother yesterday. ``I appreciate the way the animal welfare organisations reach out to help. But, after this incident, I wonder how much they can really do,'' said Kapoor.

Irani Mukherjee, chairman of the Circle of Animal lovers, however, denied having knowledge about the first pup biting passersby or receiving any related complaint from the couple. Said she: ``We came to know of the case only when the Kapoors called us to tell us that the dog had been beaten by the boys from the neighbouring block. Since we did not have a van at our disposal we asked them to get the animal to the clinic.'' She said the organisation caters to 30-34 cases on an average daily. And they have only one van which is always out in the field so there is a lot of delay.

According to her, most people consider the organisation a dumpyard for stray animals. They leave them here and don't ever look back again.