Two held for transporting puppies from Bangalore to Mumbai

The Vashi police have arrested a driver and a conductor of a private bus for allegedly carrying 12 puppies from Bangalore to Mumbai without any documents.

A few animal activists got to know about the animals and stopped the bus on Sion-Panvel highway at Vashi sector 17, after which they informed the police.

"After we found the puppies, we arrested both the driver and the conductor of the bus that belongs to a private travel agency. The animals were brought from Bangalore to deliver at Crawford market in Mumbai," said Ram Pathare, senior police inspector from Vashi police station.

According to Pathare, the puppies were aged between 3 to 6 months. The twelve puppies included one rottweiler, 2 pomeranians, 4 German shepherds and one doberman. They were placed under the rear seats of the bus.

"Prima facie, it appeared that the animals were being transported to sell in Mumbai. We are, however, still clueless about the people who sent them in the bus and who were to receive them in the city. We are interrogating the arrested people to get more details," Pathare said.

The arrested men have been identified as Hyder Pasha, 54, and Narayan Venkatesh, 35. The police have booked them under sections 11 (d) (e) and (h) of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960. They were produced before the judicial court on Saturday afternoon.

"The court has ordered to handover the puppies to the animal activists till the owner comes forward to take them. They have taken the puppies to a shelter house in Parel," Pathare said.