-- Samir Umarye BICHOLIM: The problem of stray animals was highlighted on Thursday when a cow was seriously injured by a speeding vehicle and the Bicholim Municipal Council ( BMC) has now blamed the owners for deserting their animals.
According to reports, a stray cow moving on the street at Sonarpeth- Bicholim was seriously injured when it was hit by an unidentified vehicle on Thursday morning. “ When I saw the injured cow, it was struggling to get up and was desperately trying to move by the roadside, but its leg was fractured and it was unable to move,” Aashish Narvekar told Herald. Narvekar immediately alerted an NGO, Bharat Swabhiman from Bicholim, and the BMC. A veterinary doctor was also summoned to the site and the cow was administered first aid. The cow was later shifted to the International Animal Rescue centre at Assagao. BMC Councillor Shashikant Halarnkar, who also visited the site, has expressed concern over the situation. When residents confronted Halarnkar over the movement of stray animals in the city, he squarely blamed the animal owners for the menace. “ The councillor said the BMC has been helpless in the matter as the owners never come forward to claim ownership of their animals when such incidents take place,” Narvekar said.