Caged dog at IIM-Calcutta dies without proper treatment, sparks outrage
Times of India | 12 July 2026
Kolkata: The death of a dog, lodged in the new enclosure at IIM Calcutta—it died of maggot infestation—has sparked an outrage among alumni, students and a section of faculty members at the business school. Former students alleged that the administration did not let students take the dog, eight-year-old Shaky, for treatment.
Students did call a vet but the overcrowded and unhygienic condition of the cage reportedly did not allow her recovery.
Shashank Dubey, an alumnus of 2023, wrote to director Alok Kumar Rai, pointing out that the cage in which the dog died was “crammed, filthy, and no place to heal a sick animal”, many other past students spoke out against the alleged high-handedness of the institute’s administration and felt Shaky could have been saved had the authorities been a little empathetic. They also pointed out that seven other dogs were also infested with maggots due to the condition of the cage.
“Shaky has been on the campus from a young age. She was close to me and when I got the news, I started crying. The administration refused pleas from students to take the dog out of the cage for proper treatment. The result of the refusal resulted in the death,” Dubey said. “Petpals (animal welfare body run by students and alumni) were allowed to treat her only inside the cage. The enclosure is overcrowded and unhygienic, and treatment cannot hold there. As a result the wounds reopen, maggots return. Such inhuman treatment towards animals needs to change or else it will again happen to some other dog in the cage.” Echoing Dubey, Nikhil Sankhwar, a 2025 alumnus, said, “Shaky was loved by everyone on the campus. It is painful to lose a furry friend to lack of treatment. The cruelty against them must stop.”
Shaky had been unwell for over 15 days and with time, the wound worsened. “A thick liquid oozed out of a sore and flies circled around as Shaky lay on the floor of the shelter,” said a source. TOI chose not to publish Shaky’s photo due to the extreme hideousness of it.
More than 50 dogs live on the campus and most of them are vaccinated and sterilised. The business school recently built a 40 ft×20 ft enclosure and put 10 dogs inside it. More than 100 alumni wrote to the director, opposing the move to confine the dogs to the cage.
Director Alok Kumar Rai did not respond to calls and messages from TOI.
A 2024 batch alumnus, Minal Warudkar said, “It is dangerous that even after the death of the dog, the director is showing no mercy. The authorities did not put any thought behind building this cage. Unfamiliar dogs from different parts of the campus are put together in the cage, leading to fights and consequent injuries. We are worried about the rest of the maggot-infested dogs in the cage that are being treated inside that very shelter.”
CAPE Foundation Managing Trustee and animal rights activist Radhika Bose pointed out that the deceased dog’s condition appeared to reflect severe neglect. “Had she received proper veterinary care, flies would not be swarming around her wounds. While the enclosure itself appears to be of adequate size, the real concern is the reason behind dogs developing maggot-infested wounds. Such wounds suggest they suffered the injuries while fighting and those, if left untreated and in unhygienic conditions, can rapidly deteriorate into severe maggot infestations. A thorough investigation is needed to determine the circumstances that led to this animal’s condition and death.”
Rohit Raj, a veterinary doctor, said, “Early treatment of maggot wounds and maintaining hygiene is important or it may turn fatal.”