Mumbai Sees Rise In Sexual Assault Cases Against Stray Dogs

Mumbai has witnessed a rise in reported cases of sexual assault against stray dogs over the past month.

While police have booked the accused in two recent cases, activists argue that existing legal provisions are grossly inadequate to address sexual violence against animals.

On January 18, a 20-year-old man, Vikas Paswan, was allegedly caught red-handed by a local animal feeder and residents while sexually abusing a two-month-old puppy inside a public toilet at Narayan Shukla Chawl in Malad’s Kurar village.

In another incident, on February 1, a 40-year-old man, Sanjay Gaud, was allegedly nabbed while sexually abusing a female dog inside a drain in Kandivali (E)’s Lokhandwala Township.

In both cases, police booked the accused under Section 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 11(1)(a) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act. Activists point out that Section 325 only deals with mischief involving killing, poisoning or maiming animals, while the PCA Act prescribes a penalty as low as INR 50 for first-time offenders, a figure often mocked as a “license to kill".

Local animal shelters and veterinary clinics report an uptick in stray dogs brought in with severe internal injuries consistent with sexual trauma.