Police crack down on 'illegal' pet shops in Bengaluru

Bengaluru police raided several shops and rescued cats, dogs, birds and other pet animals on Saturday. The owners have been booked under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

Three cases were registered in Girinagar and Kumaraswamy Layout police station limits and some in other parts of the city.

Veterinary doctors, officials from the Karnataka Animal Welfare Board and animal volunteers complained to the police about the "illegal, unhygienic" pet trade.

Animal Husbandry Minister Prabhu Chavan had announced a crackdown on "illegal" pet shops.

On January 11, a team headed by sub-inspector Asha K B from Girinagar police station raided a shop named Pet Patch in Nagendra Block, Banashankari 1st Stage. According to the police, the shop was dirty and the cages were in a bad condition. They rescued 13 Zebra Finch birds, 12 love birds (Budgies), four puppies, and a red-eared slider.

The team raided Dreams Birds and Aqua in Muneshwara Block and rescued four Persian cats and 21 love birds. Neither shop had a trade licence.

Kumaraswamy Layout police team raided M L Aqua And Pets shop on Subramanyapura Road and rescued eight African love birds, 33 Finches, 31 love birds and 15 pigeons.

The shopkeepers had kept many birds in congested cages, didn't feed the animals and birds properly and failed to maintain hygiene, according to police. Shopkeepers were arrested in all the three cases.