Nearly two months after 11 Siberian huskies and a German Shepherd were rescued from the along the Shankarpally–Patancheru road near Bhanur, the dogs remain confined to a shelter in Gajularamaram, caught in a legal and administrative limbo that animal welfare activists say is delaying their chance of finding permanent homes.

The dogs were rescued on April 29 after a distress call alerted volunteers from Animal Shelter for Rescue Aid (AASRA). One of the animals later died from severe dehydration. Investigations subsequently led to the arrest of four caretakers and drivers associated with Calvary Temple in Miyapur on June 7 for engaging in breeding activities and abandoning the dogs after they had grown older and there was insufficient space to accommodate them.

While the rescue operation drew widespread attention and generated at least 500 queries from prospective adopters, the animals are still waiting at a shelter because they cannot legally be adopted.

“Until the chargesheet is filed and a court order is obtained, the dogs cannot be put up for adoption. It is a systemic delay because of which the dogs are suffering. A shelter is not a good place for dogs to stay for too long. They deserve better homes,” said Harsh Kishore Bhatnagar, founder of Shakuntala Society for Animal Welfare and Nature (SWAN).

The premises from where the dogs were abandoned fall under the jurisdiction of Miyapur police. However, when animal welfare groups approached them, they were reportedly directed to Bhanur police on the grounds that a case had already been registered there.

BDL Bhanur Police Inspector Vijay Krishna said the case registered in Bhanur pertains only to the abandonment of the animals. It has been booked under Section 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 11(1)(i) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. The chargesheet in this case is yet to be filed.

Any case relating to illegal breeding or maintenance activities at the church would have to be registered separately by the Miyapur police having jurisdiction over that area, he said.

Meanwhile, the police have written to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation seeking details about licences held by the church management for breeding and maintaining the dogs.

While an official response is still awaited, activists say they have been informed that no valid breeding licence existed. “The issue is not being treated seriously by the authorities. The focus is on the fact that the dogs were rescued, not on the real issue, which is the illegal breeding and maintenance of the dogs,” said Gowri Vandana, founder of AASRA.

Mr. Bhatnagar said the animals are recovering well and will soon undergo sterilisation before being placed in the adoption pool. The organisation also plans to rehome the dogs in pairs wherever possible to preserve established bonds between them.

“We are ensuring they eat well and are medically fit before sterilisation is done. We are also trying to give the dogs to owners in pairs, maintaining packs,” he said.

One of the rescued Siberian huskies | Video Credit: BY ARRANGEMENT