Victory: Six More Illegal Greyhound Dog Races Stopped in Punjab After PETA India Complaint, Legal Action Underway for One Race That Occurred
Following reports of more greyhound races planned across Punjab, PETA India took swift action to prevent these illegal events. The races were scheduled for Chapar Chiri Khurd village, SAS Nagar Mohali, on 29 December 2024; Dehlon village, Ludhiana, on 01 January; Malerkotla on 07 January; Dhatt village, Hoshiarpur, on 08 January; and most recently, Patton village, SAS Nagar Mohali, and Hawara village, Fatehgarh Sahib, on 12 January. Upon learning of these events, PETA India promptly alerted senior police officials in the concerned districts. Thanks to police intervention, the planned races were successfully cancelled, sparing countless greyhounds from cruelty. However, a race in Dehlon village, Ludhiana, occurred on 04 January. Despite giving prior information and coordinating with the police to prevent the race, the race was conducted as planned. PETA India has since filed a formal complaint, urging authorities to register a first information report (FIR) against the organisers and participants of this event.
Greyhound racing involves forcing dogs to race at such dangerously high speeds that it puts a tremendous strain on their bodies, often causing them to suffer injuries or death. They are typically confined to kennels and forced to stand in their filth when not used. Dogs who lose may face harsh abuses, such as abandonment or being killed. Injuries, exhaustion, and psychological trauma are common in spectacles in which animals are forced to race, which prioritises gambling over the welfare of the animals.
Recently, PETA India, working with senior police officials, also successfully prevented illegal greyhound races across multiple locations: Mansa, Punjab (23 December 2024); Lasoi village, Malerkotla, Punjab (10 December 2024); Vijayapura, Karnataka (12 December 2024); SAS Nagar Mohali, Punjab (8 December 2024); Sri Muktsar Sahib, Punjab (06 December 2024); Samrala village, Ludhiana, Punjab (30 November 2024); Chung village, Tarn Taran, Punjab (27 November 2024); Ratoli village, Yamuna Nagar, Haryana (25 November 2024); and Moga, Punjab (24 November 2024).
In its complaint, PETA India pointed out that according to a December 2020 letter sent to the Chief Secretary of Punjab, the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) had opined that essentially all animal races, and in particular dog races, are prohibited under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960 and has declared similar events illegal. The letter warned that conducting such races amounted to contempt of court and urged the withdrawal of any permissions or directions for such activities to ensure compliance with the law. Additionally, such races violate multiple provisions of The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the PCA Act, 1960, which prohibits inflicting unnecessary suffering on animals.
The complaint also pointed out that the PCA Act, 1960, specifically criminalises inciting animals to fight with other animals. In the landmark judgment of Animal Welfare Board of India vs A Nagaraja & Ors (Civil Appeal No 5387/2014) of 7 May 2014, the Hon’ble Supreme Court clarified that activities such as animal racing come within the purview of animal fights, as they involve forcing them into competitive and harmful situations, akin to incitement to fight.
On 02 January 2025, the AWBI sent a letter to the Member Secretary of the Punjab Animal Welfare Board and the Deputy Commissioner of Sangrur district in response to multiple complaints by PETA India regarding scheduled greyhound races. The letter reiterated that greyhound races are illegal and emphasised the need to prevent such events. It also called for stringent action against violators of the law.
