Hyderabad: Five abandoned Siberian Huskies trudging along a village road on the outskirts of Hyderabad under the scorching sun were rescued Wednesday, while a sixth was found dead nearby, possibly after suffering a heatstroke. Passers-by reported seeing a larger pack of pedigreed dogs wandering through a scrubland near Nandigaon village along the Shankarpally-Patancheru Road.Animal rescuers from AASRA Foundation and SWAN suspect an unidentified breeder abandoned at least another 30 dogs in the area over a week ago. The rescued Huskies were “extremely exhausted and weak” when they were found, said Gowri Vandana of AASRA Foundation. Villagers said they saw a truck bringing 35 to 40 Huskies to the area on the night of April 20. An investigation is under way.The rescued animals, between two and four years old, have been shifted to shelters for treatment and medical evaluation. “We are awaiting their blood reports to understand if these dogs were used for any illegal experiments,” said Harsh Kishor Bhatnagar of SWAN. The area is known to be the hub of illegal breeding. “Puppy mills have proliferated, catering to a market where a dog can fetch anywhere between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1 lakh,” said an animal welfare worker.
