KOCHI: They had brutally chopped off its legs and tail, yet the cat crawled back to its owner. Though the pet was taken to a veterinary doctor, it did not survive for long. Sadly, the incident reported recently from Thiruvankulam near Tripunithura is not a one-off case. From Abbakka, the dog who was tied to the rear of car and dragged on the road in North Paravur, to puppies that were stabbed in Munambam, brutality towards animals has become a common sight in the city lately.
The 100 stray dogs which were poisoned to death and dumped in the waste yard of Thrikkakara municipality never got justice. Other than a week’s social media outrage, barely anyone batted an eye.
“Abbakka was mercilessly tortured last December. The case is yet to be heard by the court and there has been no official action against the culprits. The public outcry lasted a few weeks, and it has been a year now, and no one even remembers that poor dog anymore,” says Ambili Purakkal, founding member, Daya Animal Welfare Organisation.
Many feel the attacks against these defenceless creatures have become normalised now. “When you find out that the maximum punishment for killing an animal is a fine of `500, you realise why people don’t think twice before hurting them. We’ve been getting numerous video footage of attacks against animals from different parts of Ernakulam, daily. The police state they will not register a case based on footage and demand witnesses. Residents often refrain from putting forth a testimony out of fear or not wanting to pick a fight. The police use this as a reason to not take action. If we keep pushing them, they scare away the informants by demanding their mobile phones as evidence,” she said.
While various organisations point out that an average of 10 to 15 mistreatment cases come to light every month, officials remain unperturbed. “The Munambam incident came to the fore on October 22. A couple of auto drivers spotted the dead bodies of puppies in front of the Munambam police station. We are not sure whether officials would move ahead with legal actions based on CCTV footage. Unfortunately, many unreported cases are surfacing in Kochi these days. As there is no solid data on this, the public hasn’t realised how big an issue this is,” says Deepu V K, a volunteer from Munambam.
Lack of laws
Police officials cite the lack of stringent laws as the reason for not registering cases. “While rearing a pet requires an owner to pay C500 to the local body, attacking them costs one `50. Even if we take up a case, it will not amount to anything. Drug rackets have a crucial role in many of these attacks. The addicts gather at isolated buildings and end up hurting strays that hang out in the area. In most cases, investigation based on CCTV footage leads us nowhere,” said an officer on anonymity.
Call to amend PCA act
The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (PCA) 1960 stipulates only a meagre fine of `50 for attacking animals --- be it beating, kicking, torturing or mutilating. Many activists have been calling for an amendment of the Act by hiking the penalty and making such acts cognisable. “We are still following PCA Act to book those who commit heinous crimes towards animals. We have been trying to amend this for 20 years now. Despite thousands of memorandums and detailed amendment lists, there has been no official action yet. The culprit can get bail by paying a small amount. And the crime keeps repeating,” said Ambili.
partially functional CCTV NETWORK
The lack of unified CCTV networks and street lights is a major hurdle. “Be it Kochi city or its suburbs, functional cameras are a rare sight these days. Many of them have been dysfunctional for the past couple of years. When investigating every other crime is problematic due to this, it wouldn’t make sense to insist on investigating the attack on strays,” said a police officer.
SPCA’s fund crunch
Asanimals and pets are being attacked, government agencies like the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) are struggling due to a fund crunch. “Though we are eager to provide perennial support to the stray animals, we are unable to use the district panchayat’s funds. We are constantly monitoring the harassment and trying to ensure legal action against culprits. With the support of sponsors, we are trying to rehabilitate stray animals as well,” said district panchayat president Ullas Thomas, who also works as SPCA Ernakulam chairman.
Despite clear directions from officials, anti-social elements continue to commit heinous crimes against defenceless animals
Residents suspect drug rackets are behind the latest incidents reported from Thiruvankulam and Munambam
