GBA Orders Brigade Metropolis to Share CCTV Footage After Community Dog Goes Missing

A nine-year-old community dog named Bruce went missing from Brigade Metropolis in Mahadevpura on August 16, prompting civic authorities to intervene and order the release of CCTV footage following appeals by residents and animal welfare volunteers.

In an August 24 letter, the Assistant Director (Animal Husbandry) of Bengaluru East City Corporation directed the security and facility management of Brigade Metropolis and Brigade Arcade to provide entrance CCTV footage from August 16 and 17. The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) also demanded security logs and contact details of individuals who entered the premises during that period. Citing the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, the GBA noted that only authorized vendors are permitted to capture dogs using prescribed procedures, warning that withholding information constitutes defiance of government directives and could invite legal action.

Bruce disappeared from the Arcade section of the complex, leading residents to search the area and question local shopkeepers. Entrance footage revealed two unidentified men entering the premises at 2:33 am on August 16. Residents noted that one man wore a red T-shirt with a black cap, while the other wore a black T-shirt. The footage showed them attempting to lure or catch dogs before moving toward the shopping complex.

A crucial gap remained in the investigation because the residential association’s cameras did not cover the Arcade area. A volunteer from Pawsitive Brigade stated that residents and volunteers repeatedly requested the relevant recordings from the Arcade management between August 16 and August 22, but access was denied.

On August 22, volunteers and residents filed a Non-Cognizable Report (NCR) at the Mahadevpura police station regarding Bruce’s disappearance. When complainants later approached the Arcade management alongside police officials to preserve and review the footage from August 15 and 16, management claimed that no backup recordings were available for those dates.

The complainants also raised concerns over the handling of the case at the police station, alleging that the complaint was left unsigned by police officials after they were made to wait for hours. Residents have demanded a formal investigation into the disappearance, verification of the missing CCTV backup claim, and increased protection for the eight remaining community dogs living in the complex.