Several past and present students of IIM Calcutta have raised serious concerns after many stray dogs went missing from the campus. They have accused the institute of removing the dogs and leaving them at a dumping ground far away from the campus.
A former student sent a complaint to the Animal Welfare Board of India, saying that nine dogs were taken around 5 to 6 kilometers away and left at a place known for disposing of animal remains. According to the complaint, the dogs were healthy, vaccinated, neutered, and cared for by a student group called PetPals.
PetPals has been taking care of around 50 dogs and 30 cats on the campus. Students believe the dogs would not have left on their own, and it would not have been possible to move them without the knowledge of security or the administration. This has led to suspicion that the institute may have played a role in relocating the animals.
The Animal Welfare Board took note of the complaint and sent a letter to IIM Calcutta on May 8. In the letter, the board said it had received emails from “animal lovers of IIM Calcutta” about cruelty to the community dogs. The board has asked the institute to take proper action as per the law and submit a report.
In response, the acting director of IIM Calcutta said the institute does not support cruelty to animals and is working on building a dog enclosure on campus. He added that once the enclosure is ready, such issues should not happen again.
Posters with images of the dogs have been shared on campus as part of the effort to help find the missing dogs. If you have any information about these dogs, please contact the phone number provided on the posters.
This is not the first time such concerns have been raised. In a similar case years ago, the Animal Welfare Board had written to Presidency University after students there accused the administration of removing dogs from campus. The university later created a dog enclosure in response.