Increase in missing reports of pets in Nagaland

February 8, 2024 20 Views No Comment

Morung Express News
Dimapur | February 8

Cases of missing or stolen pets are not a rare occurrence in the state of Nagaland. However, recent reports from pet owners and animal lovers have revealed startling increase of stolen or missing pets.

According to Imlinsen Pongen, founder of Noah’s Ark (Nagaland), a community driven group of animal lovers, revealed that most of these incidents occur in the cosmopolitan towns of Dimapur and Kohima. On an average, at least 2-3 missing reports of cats/ dogs were received by them from owners every day, she said. These are put on their Instagram page, ‘Noah’s Ark Nagaland.’

Although it could not be ascertained as to whether all the missing cases of pets were stolen or caused by the negligence of the owners themselves, Pongen stated that reports were received about unknown individuals or groups moving about stealing pets from different locations in Dimapur. Among these, several were suspected to be drug users seeking to sell them off for money.

An incident was brought to light by Noah’s Ark last year where an alleged drug user was caught for stealing a dog from its owner’s home.

This had happened on December 13, 2023 at LRC Colony, Dimapur. Speaking with the owner of the German Shepherd dog, he explained that the thief had broken into their home late at night and taken the dog from its kennel. Later, they apprehended the accused after receiving inputs of his whereabouts who had confessed that he sold the dog to a local dog meat butcher. It was later revealed that the accused was a habitual drug user, according to the owner of the German Shepherd.

Fortunately for the family, their pet dog had been retrieved alive from the home of the butcher who had bought it from the accused. It was disclosed that this had not been the first time that the accused had committed such an act. This has become a worrying menace among pet owners while also adding a new twist to the drug issue in Nagaland.

Besides this, Pongen also mentioned that the increase of missing pets could be attributed to a proportionate increase of pet ownership among families. While some get reunited with their owners, many of them never get found, she said.