A wounded Rottweiler was found abandoned on a highway close to Gorumara national park in Jalpaiguri district on Tuesday, a day after a Rottweiler mauled a woman in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, triggering concerns over the breed’s regulation and public safety.
The abandoned dog, believed to be around three years old, was first spotted by motorists in the afternoon on NH31 near Batabari-2 gram panchayat, some 30km from Jalpaiguri town.
A Jalpaiguri-based NGO, The Society for the Protection of Animal Rights (SPOAR), was alerted.
Around 11pm on Tuesday, a team from SPOAR reached the spot and found the dog with an injury on its front left leg, likely caused by being pushed off a vehicle.
“The dog was sitting beside the highway with visible wounds. It appears to have been abandoned intentionally, possibly by its owner,” said Arkoprava Majumder, secretary of SPOAR.
With support from forest department officials, SPOAR completed the rescue operation within an hour and brought the dog to safety. A veterinary officer treating the animal confirmed that the dog is also suffering from a skin infection.
The abandonment has raised serious ecological concerns. “Leaving such a large and potentially aggressive breed near a protected forest like Gorumara is extremely irresponsible. The area is home to a healthy leopard population. If the dog, carrying an infectious disease, was left to roam, it could have triggered an outbreak among wild animals,” Majumder added.
On Monday, Kaushalya Devi, 75, was attacked by a Rottweiler in Dehradun. Reports suggest that she suffered deep wounds and fractures and required around 200 stitches.
A case has been filed against the unidentified dog owner.
“The Dehradun incident may have prompted the owner to abandon the dog here in Jalpaiguri,” said a resident.
Last year, a five-year-old girl was grievously injured when two pet Rottweiler dogs attacked her in Tamil Nadu.
SPOAR filed a general diary with the local police to officially document the incident and has taken full responsibility for the dog’s care. “We will ensure the dog is treated and looked after. If a suitable home is found, it will be handed over only on the condition that the adopter does not engage in breeding, which is now banned,” said Majumder.
The incident comes in the backdrop of a nationwide debate on the ownership of aggressive dog breeds. In 2023 the central government had directed the state government to ban the breeding of some breeds including Rottweilers.
A pet shop owner, however, told this newspaper that Rottweilers continue to be sold in Bengal.
Rottweilers, originally bred in Germany as Rottweiler Metzgerhund or "butcher’s dogs," were used to herd livestock and pull meat carts. They have been used as guard dogs, police dogs and in rescue operations, but their strength and territorial instincts raise concerns over public safety.