Abandoned husky found dead, 5 rescued, ’30 missing’

Hyderabad: Five abandoned Siberian huskies were rescued from trudging along a rural road on the outskirts of Hyderabad in the scorching sun on Wednesday, while a sixth was found dead nearby, possibly from heat stroke. Passers-by reported seeing a large group of purebred dogs roaming in the bushes near Nandigaon village off Shankarpally-Patancheru road.Animal rescuers with the AASRA Foundation and SWAN suspect an unidentified breeder abandoned at least 30 other dogs in the area a week ago. Gowri Vandana of the AASRA Foundation said the rescued husky was “extremely exhausted and weak” when she was found. Villagers said that on the evening of April 20, they saw a truck carrying 35 to 40 huskies coming to the area. The investigation is ongoing.The rescued animals, aged between two and four years old, were transferred to the shelter for treatment and medical evaluation. Harsh Kishor Bhatnagar of SWAN said: “We are waiting for their blood reports to know if these dogs were used in any illegal experiments.” The area is known to be a hub of illegal breeding. “Puppy processing plants have proliferated to cater to market demand and a dog is sold for between 50,000 and 100,000 rupees,” said an animal welfare worker.