Strays yet to overcome cracker trauma, several still missing
Times of India | 23 October 2025
Kolkata: Several strays missing in different parts of the city since Kali Puja night are yet to be traced by their feeders. In the past 24 hours, social media platforms have been flooded with pleas from feeders and animal lovers requesting their return to their original localities.
One such stray parent has also announced a cash award to be reunited with his missing street dog in central Kolkata. Pet parents rued that their "furry babies" did not convalesce from the cracker menace.
A day after the video of a street dog on a metro train went viral on social media, Somen Dey, a resident of Chaltabagan under Amherst Street police station, contacted several animal rights organisations, claiming that the dog shown in the video was his Lalu, who disappeared from near his house at Baishnab Sammilani Lane on Kali Puja night.
"I used to feed Lalu for the past seven years and had a bond with him. On seeing the video circulated on social media, I am certain it is the same dog that I have been looking for since yesterday. I have sought the help of animal activists in different areas to get him back," said Dey, an animal lover who also feeds several other strays in his neighbourhood.
A couple from Elliot Road, Bharat Keshwani and Natasha, announced a Rs 25,000 cash reward to get back the stray Lily, missing since Monday night.
"We have been taking care of this Indie for the last year. We never bound her; rather, she had free movement. Lily was last seen near Park Lane around 9 pm on Monday, and she had a pink reflective collar. We looked for her in some probable places but to no avail. So, we have announced the cash award while seeking public help to get her back," Keshwani said.
Meanwhile, 25 injured strays have been recovered from different parts of the city till Wednesday evening.
"Some of them, including a cat, having sustained severe burns, are battling for their life," said Susmita Roy, who runs a hospital for animals at Behala.
Tridib Jyoti Mukherjee, a resident of Alipore who has given shelter to a street dog at his home, rued that it was yet to overcome the trauma it suffered on Diwali night. "Crackers are still going off in our locality, and this dog is still shivering in fear. It is showing every sign of panic and needs medication.
I have sent two other strays to my friend's house in this locality," he said.
Some netizens posted that a stray disappeared from the BD Market area in Salt Lake. Animal lover Sonali Bhattacharya, a resident of Salt Lake, who has six pets – three Indie, two pedigree dogs, and a cat – is taking medicine support to allay their cracker fear. "Some people burst crackers in front of my house on Diwali night, and I drove them away following an altercation.
Even I had to call up cops but got no help at that moment.
Now I am guarding my pets throughout the day to ensure that they get rid of the cracker trauma soon," she said.
Tapti Sinha, a resident of Salt Lake's BE Block, said, "One of our locality dogs ran off in fear after crackers started being burst on Sunday evening. Locals and residents of our block searched for him for an entire day before he was seen running around near our neighbourhood."