Kochi | In a shocking case of animal neglect, 26 foreign-breed dogs left starving for over three days were rescued by the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Ernakulam from a rented house at Eroor near Tripunithura.

According to SPCA, Sudheesh, a resident of Eroor, had been breeding the dogs for commercial purposes for the past three months. He lived in the house with his 10-year-old son, while his wife worked in Germany.

“Following a complaint from the residents' association that the dogs had become a nuisance, Tripunithura Municipality issued a notice to Sudheesh and the house owner on August 7. The owner asked him to vacate the premises immediately.

"Under stress, Sudheesh left the house on Sunday morning, abandoning his son and the dogs. When he did not return by evening, the boy contacted his mother, who informed the police. The child was later shifted to his mother's house in Cherthala,” said a police officer from Hill Palace Police Station.

However, the dogs were left unattended for three days.

“It was on Wednesday afternoon that we received information about the abandoned dogs. When we arrived, we found them extremely weak, and one pregnant dog required immediate medical care. The breeds included German Shepherds, Siberian Huskies and Labradors. When we tried to feed them, some residents obstructed us and behaved aggressively. We had to forcefully enter the premises to provide food and water,” said T K Sajeev, SPCA Ernakulam District Secretary.

Considering the tense situation, SPCA decided to relocate the dogs to its shelter home in Chellanam.

“Three dogs were shifted to a veterinary hospital for medical attention, while the rest were taken to our shelter. We will file a complaint with the police against the residents who tried to prevent us from feeding the animals. We will recommend registering a case under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) section 325 for their cruel act,” Sajeev said.

On Sudheesh's whereabouts, police said he was reportedly staying with his parents in Eroor and had been hospitalised. “We have asked his family to produce him before us soon,” the officer added.

SPCA said it would assess whether Sudheesh intentionally abandoned the dogs.

“His brother claimed that he panicked after receiving the municipality's notice, as he had no alternative shelter for the dogs. If it is proven that he deliberately abandoned them, we will register a case against him. He will also need to approach the court to reclaim custody of the animals,” Sajeev said.