Purported Video Of A Dog Being Chased Out Of Stadium During IPL Match Sparks Animal Cruelty Row

New Delhi: During the recent Indian Premier League (IPL) match between the Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians, a confused street dog reportedly entered the stadium, leading to a disturbing incident that was caught on video as attempts were made to drive the animal away. The purported video of the incident that went viral on social media showed the dog being chased and beaten by a group of people. Now, animal rights activists have condemned the incident as ‘cruel’ and ‘unsportsmanlike’.

The incident drew a sharp reaction from animal rights activists.

PETA India, in a statement, said it strongly condemns the "reprehensible and 100 per cent unsportsmanlike act of chasing, kicking, and punching a lost and confused dog who inadvertently entered the stadium, likely afraid".

"The dog might have felt compelled to react in self-defence due to the repeated kicking by every individual [it] encountered, including a police officer, and being punched and knocked down by a man, as depicted in the video. The animal rights group said such treatment not only inflicts cruelty upon the innocent dog but also heightens the risk of a tragic incident.

Those involved should suffer penalties, if not arrest, it said.

It also demanded that stadium authorities must immediately adopt humane methods of dealing with such situations.

"Furthermore, we call upon both the stadium and police authorities to take cognizance of this video, ensuring that such deplorable actions by members of the public, stadium staff, and law enforcement officials are prevented from occurring in the future," it said.

Keren Nazareth, senior director, Companion Animal and Engagement, Humane Society International/India said this was not the first time a dog entered a cricket or football stadium.

"The dog was clearly scared and in a crowd with so many adults, not one was able to calmly deal with the situation. There should be some training for the field staff on how to be able to humanely remove dogs from such a situation so as not to harm the dog or anyone else," she said.

"We could definitely learn from some football matches where dogs have had a field day! The fact that we have lived by them for thousands of years, it is only fair that we start being more serious about understanding their behaviour and compassionately finding solutions," she added.