Indian Pet Laws for Welfare of Animals

To safeguard the interests of animals, the Government of India has enacted various Indian pet laws. The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act was enacted in December 1960. The main objective of the Act is to prevent cruelty and reduce the sufferings of animals. Following this, the Animal Welfare Board of India was established in 1962 under Section 4 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960 (No.59 of 1960).

Indian Pet Laws for Animal Welfare

Other important provisions of Indian pet laws that aim to reduce brutality against animals are:

• Under section 11 of PCA, it is illegal to feed poisonous food to an animal.
• Carrying an animal in such a way that causes pain or suffering to the animal is prohibited. In case of any violation, the person may be punished with fine of Rs.100 or three months in jail or both.
• It is illegal to kill stray animals, especially homeless dogs. A code of conduct has been set by the Animal Welfare Board of India for municipalities. In case of failure to follow the code, the person who violates the code may face contempt of court proceedings.
• Under section 428 and 429, it is forbidden to cause injury to any animal exceeding financial value of Rs.10. If found guilty, the offenders can be fined with Rs.2000 or imprisonment up to 5 years or both.
• The Rules for Experimental Animals state that the use of stray animals for research purposes is illegal.

Indian Pet Laws: How You Can Help With Better Implementation

You can help the Government with better implementation of Indian pet laws in various ways:

• In case you witness any one causing injury to an animal, lodge an FIR against the offender.
• If you observe killing of stray dogs by the Municipal Corporation, report the matter with the municipal commissioner.
• In case you see an animal hit by a vehicle, note down the number of the vehicle. If the animal is still alive, give it first aid. Take it to a veterinarian or call an animal welfare organization. Once the animal is out of danger, you can lodge an FIR against the offender citing the number of the vehicle.

In India, we see thousands of stray animals like cows, dogs and pigs roaming around, uncared for or not well looked after. Many die on a daily basis because of eating plastic bags, broken glass and other trash. Many of these animals are killed for commercial and personal purposes such as research purposes, leather, milk, meat, tallow, and so on.