Hero’s story would have been like that of any other stray to have died by the road, but intervention by East Singhbhum deputy commissioner (DC) Ravi Shankar Shukla ensured the dog lived to fight on.

The DC took action on a message forwarded by MP Maneka Gandhi, who is also an animal rights activist, on Sunday.

Shukla sent a team of veterinarians to Mango where this dog, locally called Hero, was found injured and tortured by some local residents. After a basic screening Hero was taken to the Golpahari based Pet Clinic and later shifted to the Tata Steel Utilities and Infrastructure Services Limited (erstwhile Jusco) Stray Dog Sterilisation Centre in Baridih where he will be receiving further treatment.

Last Thursday, a bike ran over Hero on Dimna Road in Mango. He managed to drag himself to a safe place.

“He had severe injury but in a lockdown we thought just feeding him would be enough and he would recover but residents here argued with us and they started pushing him with a shovel and poked him with sticks but his condition was too bad to even move an inch,” said Prachi Pradipti, a resident of Dimna road who is a law student and a Jharkhand High Court intern. “People tortured him like anything. They didn’t listen to our requests to leave him alone. We also called a couple of private vets who refused to come and check. While all this was going on, someone also informed the local police, who asked us to leave.”

Prachi and her neighbour Rajan Tiwary (also a high court intern) informed JAWS (Jamshedpur Animal Welfare Society), members of which came and managed to inject some painkillers into Hero. Some volunteers managed to inform Maneka Gandhi, who then messaged Shukla.

On Monday morning, a team from the Pet Clinic under the animal husbandry department picked Hero up and took him to the Golpahari clinic.

“We think he has a fractured hip bone,” said Manoj Kumar, district animal husbandry officer. “He looks fine but would need an attendant to look after him also because he is an elderly dog. Since we don't have the infrastructure, we have requested Tata Steel Utilities and Infrastructure Services Limited to take him to their Baridih centre.”

DC Shukla said: “We do have a duty towards animals. It is fine if you don't like other animals but basic humanity says not to harm them. I hope the dog recovers soon.”

Tata Steel vet Satish Raghorte said that they have administered saline as Hero couldn't be fed and will also get an X-ray done on Tuesday.