Petition updateChange the laws of Prevention Of Cruelty Animals Act, and help give justice to a pup!

Times of India Coverage!

George FranklinIndia
Apr 2, 2017 — Paper: Bangalore Times (04/03/17) Front Page. Headline: Why is an animal’s life still worth only Rs 50? We urge our supporters to spread this petition far and wide to raise awareness! Thank you for your continued support. Our fight has just begun! --- "The bill was tabled in parliament in 2011, amended in 2014 and awaits passing. It's just a matter of having the will to pass it. How long does that take? No one can be against the increasing of fine from `50, so there is no question of any opposition to getting a bill that will save thousands of animals being abused passed. I am not saying that cases of cruelty will immediately drop — it will take perhaps five years before any effect of the law can be seen, but it's about time we did something. What is frightening about the latest case is that children were egging the man on. What have we bred? It chills me to the marrow," says animal activist Priya-Chetty Rajagopal. The Indian constitution mandates kindness and compassion for animals, but, unfortunately, the judiciary is out of sync with the constitution since it is not enforced by law. While increasing the penalty is the most obvious need, Anurag Varma of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) says that in the meantime, there needs to be other measures to deter cruelty. "Our laws are not strict and the fines are horrible. An FIR was lodged against the lady who killed the eight puppies, but she paid `50 and got out. Just imagine that. The law can't change overnight, but other steps can be taken. For example, the medical student who threw a dog off the terrace was suspended for some time. Similarly, if a person has shown cruelty towards an animal, he/she should be fired from their jobs. This way people will know that there are consequences to their actions. Of course for this, we require additional involvement of people," he says, adding that animal lovers also need to do more than just throwing biscuits at stray dogs on the roads. "Get involved when there is an issue. Start posting about animal laws and create awareness, because there are many people who don't even know that there are animal laws. Dogs are being thrown from the 4th floor, they are being burnt and beaten to death. What more is required to shake people up? Thanks to the law, everyone takes these things lightly and nobody is afraid," says Anurag.
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