The footage is hard to watch. A man on a motorcycle rides through Rajajipuram in Lucknow. Several stray dogs run alongside him and bark. He stops, calmly takes out a rifle, loads a cartridge, and fires across the road at one of the dogs. The dog is hit and dies. The man rides off without looking back.
The CCTV clip from Lucknow’s Talkatora police station area surfaced on social media on October 7 and spread quickly. The condemnation was immediate.
What the Footage Shows
The video captures more than just the shooting. In the same frame, a pet owner is out walking a dog. A woman is walking on the footpath nearby. Other vehicles are in the area.
The man stops, takes deliberate steps to load and aim, and fires at a dog on the opposite side of the road. There is no indication of panic or self-defence. The shot is calculated.
Reports suggest the man may be a security guard, based on his appearance in the footage, but police have not officially confirmed his identity or profession.
In UP’s Lucknow, a biker shot dead a street dog. The biker was carrying a rifle, stopped in the middle of the road, aimed at the dog and fired before casually driving away. https://t.co/fmjG2OyRWr
— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) October 6, 2026
Police Action So Far
The Lucknow Police registered an FIR against an unidentified person and launched an investigation. The CCTV footage is the primary lead. No arrest had been announced at the time of reporting.
Animal welfare groups publicly demanded that the man be identified and prosecuted. The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, prohibits killing or maiming animals without reasonable cause.
The Broader Concern
Several animal welfare organisations pointed out that the shooting put human lives at risk too. A missed shot in a populated residential area could have hit a bystander, a child, or a passing vehicle. The man did not appear to consider that possibility.
Dog barking at motorcycles is common behaviour. It does not justify pulling out a firearm in the middle of a residential street.
The video is under investigation. If the man is identified and arrested, he could face charges under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act as well as for reckless use of a weapon in a public space.
