Incidents of cruelty to dogs are on the rise.

A female dog and two pups were put in a cardboard box and abandoned near a petrol pump in the Tedhi Bagiya area in Agra.

A passer-by saw the box and opened it. The female dog was unconscious while the pups were yelping.

The passer-by informed an NGO Casper's Home that took the female dog to a veterinarian. The vet said that the dog had been given an anaesthesia injection before being abandoned in the box.

The vet, Dr. Dilip Kumar, said that the condition of the dog was critical, probably because of an anaesthesia overdose. The two pups are being looked after at the NGO's shelter home.

Vineet Arora of Casper's home said, "It appears that the owner did not wish to take care of the female dog and her pups but it is inhuman to throw them by the roadside in a sealed box."

Meanwhile, in another instance of cruelty to animals in the neighbouring Mathura district, a young man poured petrol on a stray dog and set it on fire. The man was reportedly upset at the dog that was barking at him.

The incident took place in the Sadar Bazaar area of Mathura.

A milkman, Mukesh Kumar, however, saved the dog by dousing the flames with his jacket. He also took the dog to a local veterinarian and ensured the necessary treatment.

Later, he along with a resident, Ravindra Bharadwaj, filed a police complaint against the culprit, Devesh Agarwal.

SHO of Sadar, Ajay Kishore, said, "An FIR has been registered against the accused under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and he has been arrested."

The SHO said, "Initial questioning of the accused revealed that he was annoyed with the female dog, who had recently delivered puppies in the neighborhood. He claimed that the animal used to bark at him often and attacked him once. CCTV footage is being examined and the matter is being investigated."

Mukesh Kumar, the milkman, said, "The dog is critical and will take time to fully recover. We are taking care of the puppies." (KB/IANS)