'He-Man' the dog that fought off 5 thieves, dies

The stray dog that was beaten up by 5 thieves when he fought them off and alerted the residents of a chawl in Kandivli's Samta Nagar, succumbed his injuries on Friday. Dr Vikram Dave, who had been treating the dog, said, "He had not stood up since he was attacked. There were multiple internal injuries and brain haemorrhage. He was beaten up very badly."

On Friday, dna had reported how the dog, named 'He-Man' for his bravery, had alerted the chawl's residents in the dead of the night, chasing away 5 thieves. The miscreants however mercilessly beat up the canine before fleeing. NGO Bird Helpline was taking care of his treatment.

Samta Nagar police have registered an FIR under section 428 (mischief by killing or maiming animal) of the Indian Penal Code and section 11 (1) (a) (beats, kicks, over-rides, over-drives, over-loads, tortures animal) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. With the dog's death, they have asked for a medical report, so more stringent sections can be added.

"We are broken-hearted. He was a true hero and really proved that a dog is man's best friend. His protective instinct for the chawl's residents came into play when he wared off the thieves. Yet, people treat stray dogs so cruelly," said Harsh Shah, founder, Bird Helpline.