Every day, countless cats, dogs and other animals at people's homes and on streets suffer and die at the hands of the very people who are supposed to care for and protect them. Physical violence, emotional abuse and life-threatening neglect are daily realities for many animals. Their only hope is that a kind person will speak up before it is too late. Fortunately animal welfare NGOs and law enforcers have the right in India to confiscate a pet subjected to cruelty under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960 of the Indian Constitution.
The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 prohibits any person from inflicting, causing, or if it is the owner, permitting unnecessary pain or suffering to be inflicted on any animal. The Act makes it a crime to beat, starve, confine, kick, torture, mutilate, administer an injurious substance, or cruelly kill an animal. Read on to learn more about some common types of cruelty and what you can do to stop them.
Stopping the cycle of violence
People who abuse animals are cowardly – because they vent their personal issues and frustrations out on the most defenseless victims available in their surroundings. It is not an exaggeration to say that their cruelty often crosses the boundaries of humanity. Research in psychology and criminology shows that animal abusers tend to repeat their crimes as well as commit similar offenses against members of their own species. This phenomenon is known to law-enforcement and humane professionals as "the offending link". For everyone's safety, it is vital for law-enforcement officials and communities to treat cases of cruelty to animals seriously and ensure that animal abusers are appropriately prosecuted and sentenced.
Various studies especially in the US found that people who abuse animals are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against humans. Behavioural profiles of criminals by the FBI have consistently shown that many serial murderers and rapists had abused animals in their childhoods.
Pet Abuse at homes
Animals also frequently become victims in homes which are plagued by extreme neglect and violence. Animal-protection and government agencies need to work together to protect all victims of domestic abuse.
Common abuses include-
▪︎ Tying the pet with a chain 24 hours a day indoor or outdoor
▪︎ Keeping a pet tied outdoors in a compound or on a roof top exposed to harsh weather conditions or near the main gate (treating them as security guards for their homes)
▪︎ Not providing proper food on time and fresh water at all times
▪︎ Not taking the pet out on walks / playtime
▪︎ Neglect, physical and mental abuse
▪︎ Neglecting health care if a pet is sick / suffering from any disease
▪︎ Not taking care of annual vaccinations and health check ups.
Solutions
It is easy and natural to feel despair when we hear about people who deliberately maim, torture or kill animals. However, it is not enough to feel bad. Courage and kindness are needed to combat the situation.
It takes courage to speak out if you suspect that an animal is being harmed. If you believe an animal is in imminent danger, please contact your local police and/ regional animal welfare NGO or the RSPCA immediately. These organisations can intervene legally and take appropriate action and in extreme cases even confiscate the pet.
What you can do
If you identify cruelty to companion animals around you report to an animal welfare NGO .
If you suspect animals are being neglected contact an NGO or the area police immediately. A simple call from a concerned neighbour can save countless animals from slow, miserable deaths.
Always keep your animal companions indoors and allow them outside only on a leash and harness. You can allow them freely outdoors in a fenced area, under supervision. Cats and dogs who are allowed outdoors
unattended are easy targets for cruel people and they are also at risk of encountering many other dangers that include being killed in traffic, ingesting poison, getting lost and succumbing to weather extremes.
Help children develop empathy for animals by leading by example. Always speak to animals kindly and handle them gently. Treat animals as family members by letting them live indoors, brushing them, playing with them and walking them daily and never take children to zoos, circuses or other places that exploit animals.
Place food and water out for street animals and birds. Be responsible feeders by cleaning up the feeding space.
In case of street dog kidnapping for the purpose of meat consumption which is rampant in north east India, be alert and keep a watch over your community dogs and also be careful with your pets. If you see a suspicious vehichle picking up a dog or dogs act fast. A group of people can intervene and question and stop these people or else take a photo of the vehichle with the license plate showing clearly. This photo can be reported in the nearby police station and animal welfare NGO .
Nandini Baruva
The writer is an animal activist and founder of Purpaws Foundation
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