- The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 is federal law of India enacted to prevent the infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering on animals and to amend the laws relating to the prevention of cruelty to animals. As per the provisions of the law the government of India formed the Animal Welfare Board of India.
- It imposes a duty on every person having the care of any animal to take all reasonable measures to ensure its well-being and to prevent the infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering. The term, “animal,” means any living creature other than a human being.
- The Act prohibits any person from inflicting, causing, or if it is the owner, permitting, unnecessary pain or suffering to be inflicted on any animal and criminalizes beating, kicking, torturing, mutilating, administering an injurious substance, or cruelly killing an animal.
- It is also illegal to over-ride, over-drive, over-load, or work an unfit animal. It is an offense to cruelly transport, confine, chain or tether an animal. It is a violation to engage in animal fighting or shooting competitions in which animals are released from captivity to be shot.
- An owner commits an offense if he or she fails to provide sufficient food, drink or shelter, unreasonably abandons any animal, or permits any diseased or disabled animal to roam or die in any street.
- Exemptions include the dehorning of cattle, castration, branding, and noseroping of animals in the prescribed manner, destruction of stray dogs in lethal chambers, the humane slaughter of animals for food or according to religious sacrifice, and the destruction of suffering animals.
- Experimentation on animals is also exempted, provided that operations are performed using an anaesthetic that prevents the animal from feeling pain. Violations are punishable with a fine and/or imprisonment (up to 3 months). The court may also confiscate any animal from a person convicted under the Act. The statute of limitations is three months for prosecution.