Around 200 stray dogs were reportedly killed in Telangana's Kamareddy district, police said on January 12, 2026. This brings the total stray dog deaths in the last week to about 500. Sources from local villages claim some elected representatives, including sarpanches, carried out the killings to "fulfill promises made to villagers" during the recent Gram Panchayat elections. Police have filed a case against six people, including five sarpanches, for their alleged involvement. Earlier, a case was registered against nine people, including two women sarpanches and their husbands, for killing around 300 dogs in Hanamkonda district. "Ahead of the Gram Panchayat elections held in December last year, some candidates promised villagers they would tackle the stray dog and monkey menace. They are now allegedly ‘fulfilling’ those promises by killing stray dogs," sources said. The dog carcasses were buried on village outskirts. Veterinary teams exhumed the bodies and conducted post-mortem exams. Samples were sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory to find the cause of death and type of poison used, a senior police official told PTI. Notices have been issued to those accused. Animal welfare activist Adulapuram Goutham filed a complaint at Machareddy police station on Monday. He said he learned nearly 200 dogs were killed over two to three days in five villages of Palwancha mandal, Kamareddy district. He alleged the sarpanches hired someone to inject poison into the dogs. Mr. Goutham found carcasses in Bhavanipet village and heard of similar cruelty in Palwancha, Faridpet, Wadi, and Bandarameshwarapally villages. Police filed cases under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act against six people, including the five sarpanches. Meanwhile, on January 12, 2026, the Supreme Court said it would consider asking states to pay "heavy compensation" for dog-bite incidents. The court expressed concern over the failure to enforce rules on stray animals in the past five years and suggested holding dog feeders accountable.