Dr. N Mhonchan Shitiri Every year the World over celebrates 4th October as World Animal Day , the feast day of Francis of Assisi , the patron saint of animals. This international day is taken as a day of action for animal rights and welfare with a mission to raise their status and thereby improve their welfare standards. On this international day , I quote here some of the Vetero-legal laws pertaining to animal rights and welfare for general awareness. Vetero - legal laws , acts and torts are also judiciary laws and are therefore can be appealed and enforced in a court of law. As regards to animal laws , it involves two agents viz the active agent or the offender, example a man and the passive agent or the offended, example a dog , cow or any animal. Animal laws therefore, directly relates to man as man is the main offender though there are acts that implicates only the animal as in cattle trespass act 1871. The common offences committed against animals are mischief , cruelty, bestiality, killing, drowning , electrocuting, poisoning and maiming which means making an animal useless by violence such as fracturing of bones, cutting of tendons , tails, legs, neck, injuring the udder, tearing of vagina and rectum, inflicting wounds etc. All these come under mischief offences and are punishable under Indian Penal Code(IPC) section 428 & 429. Cruelty includes beating, overloading, using diseased and sick animals for work, starvation , inhumane transportation etc and is punishable under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960. Bestiality , which is the carnal intercourse against the order of nature is punishable under IPC section 377. Under frauds in the sale of livestock and livestock products , the common ones are as follows ; Altering the descriptions of animals by coloring, clipping the mane, docking, castration to attract good price and bishoping where by a hole is made on the table of the incisors to look younger are done. All these frauds are punishable under IPC sec 420. In the fraud for sale of livestock products, milk is adulterated with water and skimming where fat is removed and vegetable or hydrogenated oil and animal fat are added in ghee. Falsification whereby meat of different animals are mixed to attract better price are all punishable under IPC sec 272. Under Livestock importation act 1X of 1891, importation by land or sea of livestock which may liable to be affected by contagious or infectious diseases can be restricted or prohibited by the state government. A breach of this act is punishable with a fine of up to Rs.1000. Whoever does with any poisonous substance that may cause harm and injury so as to endanger human life and animals will be booked under IPC sec 284 which may attract imprisonment up to 6 months or a fine of Rs.1000 or both. Whoever unlawfully or negligently does any act that may spread infection of any diseases dangerous to life is punishable under IPC sec 269 that may amount to a fine of Rs.1000 or imprisonment for 6 months or both. As is enshrined in directive principles part 1V article 48 of the constitution , animal welfare fortnight is observed by government of India from 14th to 30th January every year to create awareness regarding affection towards animals and birds. Central Government under section 4 of prevention of cruelty act 1960 is empowered to establish animal welfare board and societies like SPCA in the state. Functions of which is to encourage kindness and provide treatment to sick and suffering animals and to prosecute person found guilty for the acts of cruelty. For which animal grievances redressal forum and tribunals can be set up in every district. Because unseen they suffer, unheard they cry, in agony they linger, in silence they die. Is it nothing to you all ye who pass by. Let us be kind to the animals.
