All religions call for compassion, no religion requires killing or eating animals, and hacking animals to death with weapons is just plain cruel.

Animal sacrifice is also bad for everyone: It normalizes killing and desensitizes children to violence against animals.

What do the laws and courts say?

An outdated provision, Section 28 of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, allows any animal to be killed in any manner for religious reasons. However, many states, including Gujarat, Kerala, Puducherry, and Rajasthan, already have laws in place that prohibit religious sacrifice of any animal in any temple or its precincts. The states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana also prohibit animal sacrifice in any place of public religious worship or adoration or its precinct or in any congregation or procession connected with religious worship in a public street.

The Supreme Court of India directed in a 10 April 2017 order that animals could be killed only in an area set up in accordance with the law and that the municipal authority would be required to ensure compliance. The Supreme Court through a 17 February 2017 order directed that killing animals without following the Government of India’s compendium of acts and rules on animal transport and slaughter (which is based on animal protection Acts and Rules) is a punishable offence.

Please see the nationwide 2023 circular issued by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) about rules to be followed.

What can be done instead of animal sacrifice?

Celebrate religious holidays in non-violent, compassionate ways. You can distribute vegan food to the poor, send clothes or toys to an orphanage, volunteer at an animal shelter, or put out bowls of clean water for the homeless animals in your community.

What can be done to stop animal sacrifice?

If you hear about an animal sacrifice being planned, talk to those who are responsible about the cruelty of animal sacrifice and their legal obligations. Try to persuade them to celebrate the occasion in animal-friendly ways.

If you witness any cruel or illegal sacrifices of animals, please report them to the police on the helpline number (100/112) or at the nearest police station or call your local society for prevention of cruelty to animals (SPCA) or the nearest animal protection group for help.

What can be done about illegal sacrifice?

If a law is being violated, submit a formal complaint at the local police station to file a First Information Report. (The police are legally required to take your complaint and give you an acknowledgement of the same.) You can also complain to the superintendent of police/deputy commissioner of police (in cities), the district collector, the state animal welfare board, the AWBI, and the municipal commissioner/chief officer of the local civic body of the area in which the sacrifice took place.

Here are more actions to consider:

• If possible, take pictures and videos of the illegal sacrifice that you are witnessing using the “Timestamp Camera” app available on Google Play store free of cost. This will be crucial evidence, as it will help demonstrate the location, date, and time of the illegal activities during sacrifice.
• Submit the photographic and video evidence along with your complaint to the police and other authorities in a pen drive.
• Appeal to the central government to delete Section 28, a provision that permits animal sacrifice, from the PCA Act, 1960.

The post Here’s What You Can Do About Animal Sacrifice appeared first on PETA India.

1. Make your voice heard. Change doesn’t happen on its own: If you see unhygienic conditions, animals in bad health, or severe crowding at a pet store, ask to speak to the owner. By politely voicing your concerns, you can let that person know that the public does not tolerate cruelty to animals.

2. Record what you see. It’s important to document anything that looks like it jeopardizes animals’ well-being by taking detailed notes (with the date and location), photos, and videos of the shop. Keep an eye out for sanitation issues, wild or exotic species for sale, cramped conditions, and physical and mental suffering.

3. Make sure the animals get help. For any issues that can be fixed by the owner, ask the person and follow up until they have been addressed. For example, you may want to make sure puppies are kept in the shade and have soft bedding and clean water. For animals who require veterinary care, ask the owner to arrange for it. Then check back to make sure it was done. If it doesn’t get done quickly, report the matter to an Honorary Animal Welfare Officer, as recognized by the Animal Welfare Board of India, or to a local animal-protection group. You can even try to recruit a private veterinarian and request that the person helps for free or at a reduced cost. Private veterinarians can be found via JustDial.com.

4. Familiarize yourself with the law. Learn about The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, and The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, so that you can identify legal violations and report them to the appropriate officials. This guide to understanding the PCA Act, 1960, from the Animal Welfare Board of India is also an excellent resource.

5. Report wild or exotic animals. If the store is selling birds or animals protected by law, document the animals’ presence and notify the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau on (011) 26182484 or (011) 26182483 and your state’s forest department. (Just search the name of your state and “forest department” on the internet for contact information.)

6. File a first information report (FIR) with the police. If you notice a crime, file an FIR with the police. They will investigate a case only after a FIR has been filed, so you need one to set the process of criminal justice into motion. Here’s how to do it. The police are required to take your FIR, but if it isn’t registered, take the matter up with the Superintendent of Police or other higher-level officers. You can also file a private complaint with the court.

7. Don’t take “no” for an answer. It’s wrong to harm animals and break the law, which is why the world needs people like you to take a stand against cruel pet shops. Follow up with the authorities about your complaint, and check back with the pet store to make sure it has made improvements.

8. Express your gratitude. Thanking the people who helped you help animals goes a long way: Your compassion and consideration for everyone inspires others to be kind to animals.

9. Motivate others to adopt, never shop. Breeders and pet shops worsen the animal-overpopulation crisis: The animals they churn out and sell steal homes from the ones who really need them – animals stuck in shelters or on the streets . Encourage your friends, colleagues, and family to adopt companion animals from shelters.

If you need more help or are ever unsure of what to do, write to us at Info@petaindia.org or call our office at 022 4072 7382, Monday through Friday, 9:30 am to 6 pm. If it’s an after-hours emergency, please call us on (0) 98201 22602.

The post Help Animals in Cruel Pet Shops With These 9 Steps appeared first on PETA India.