Kerala HC intervenes after frequent cases of animal cruelty

With incidents of cruelty towards pets being reported frequently in Kerala, the Kerala High Court has initiated a suo motu public interest litigation on cruelty to animals.

In a latest instance, a pet dog was beaten to death by three persons, including a minor boy, after hanging it using a fish bait hook at Adimalathura on the coastal areas of Thiruvananthapuram. The labrador, named Bruno, was even thrown into the sea.

The minor among them was learnt to have recorded it using mobile phone camera and shared with some friends hence it had gone viral.

The incident happened on Monday. The youths, who were held by the police, tried to justify their act by stating that the dog, belonging to a family in the locality, was regularly causing nuisance to them by sleeping under their fishing boat. The dog's master Christuraj said that the dog used to rest under the boats after playing in the beach. He alleged that the accused even threatened him.

Over the last few months Kerala witnessed several incidents of cruelty towards pets like dragging dogs by tying to speeding vehicles.

Justice A K Jayasankaran Nambiar of the Kerala High Court wrote to the Chief Justice urging that a suo motu case may be registered on the basis of the reports of cruelty to animals. The petition is likely to be considered tomorrow.

Meanwhile, animal rights activists said that the feeble punishments warranted by the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (PCA) and lack of awareness among police personnel about the need to initiate action against cruelty to animals were the key reasons for cruelty to animals becoming frequent.