Sending out a strong message to pet shop owners, warning them to abide by the rules, the Karnataka Animal Welfare Board (KAWB) for the first time in the country conducted surprise inspections and raids on pet shops across Bengaluru on Wednesday.
The raids, which were carried by a joint team of officials from KAWB, the BBMP Veterinary Department, the Bengaluru City police, the Animal Husbandry Department, and NGOs in the domain, resulted in the rescue of 1,344 animals from 16 species.
According to a statement by KAWB, the board had been receiving multiple complaints of animal cruelty.
The teams that visited the shops noted blatant violations of the rules.
Pet shops are required to abide by the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, and rules made thereunder namely: PCA, Pet Shop Rules, 2016, and PCA, Dog (Breeding and Marketing Rules) 2016.
During the inspection, it was noted that the animals were housed in overcrowded and unclean cages. That apart, many pet shops displayed unweaned puppies for sale and did not provide the animals with enough food or water.
While a few pet shops ran without licenses, many others did not cater to the medical needs of animals and left the injured animals untreated.
"We had served notices to 44 pet shops to obtain licenses to run their business. While 24 of them applied for licenses, the other 20 have been issued closure notices," the statement by KAWB said.
The animals that were rescued have been moved to a safe shelter.
Activists working in the sector opined that the initiative was much needed and paved the way for the enforcement of norms.
“A beginning has been made. From a procedural and implementation point of view, the raid was conducted in a fool-proof manner as technically representatives from the police department to advocates were present. The first nail has been driven to prevent cruelty against animals,” said Animal activist Priya Chetty-Rajagopal who is also the founder of CJ Memorial Trust.
“We cannot stop pet shops but we can regulate them to follow the rules set out by the act,” she added.
KAWB has urged the citizens to check if pet shops have a valid licenses before buying pets from them.
“We strongly suggest the adoption of pets from animal shelters, specifically Indie dogs,” the statement by KAWB said.
Animal cruelty can be reported on the helpline — +91 82771 00200 — or Telegram — https://web.telegram.org/k/@AHVS_Karnataka — or on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AHVS_Karnataka.
Details of animals rescued:
Exotics (823)
African parrots - 94, Partridges -12, Budgerigars/Love birds - 302, Finches -389, Turkeys -1, Cockatiels - 21, African crows - 3, Red-eared sliders -1.
Domestic (521)
Pigeons/Doves - 196, Rabbits - 108, Ducks - 11, Hamsters - 38, Hens - 103, Dogs - 34, Cats - 12, Mice - 19.
Total: 1344 individuals, 16 species