Bokaro Police Registers FIR After Viral Videos Show Dogs Stuffed in Sacks, Following PETA India Intervention

After learning from viral videos of a group of men attempting to kill two dogs by stuffing them in sacks, Bokaro police registered an FIR based on a complaint by a local group and following PETA India intervention.

After learning from viral videos that a group of men attempted to kill two community dogs by stuffing them in sacks after tying their legs at the Chandrapura Thermal Power Station in the Chandrapura area of Bokaro, PETA India worked with local activist Adv Priti Prasad and others of Shambhu Sadbhavna Foundation to file a formal complaint at Chandrapura police station. There, a first information report (FIR) was registered under sections 325 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and Section 11 of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960. The FIR was registered against unknown people, however, three accused were identified and arrested by the police. After the accused revealed the location where they dumped the dogs to the police, local rescuers put search teams in place to look for the dogs and to determine if they are still alive.

Rule 11(19) of the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, permits the capture of community dogs only for the purpose of sterilisation and makes it illegal to relocate community animals. It states, “The dogs shall be released [after sterilisation] at the same place or locality from where they were captured.”

PETA India recommends that perpetrators of animal abuse undergo psychiatric evaluation and receive counselling, as abusing animals indicates deep psychological disturbance. Research shows that people who commit acts of cruelty to animals are often repeat offenders who move on to hurting other animals, including humans. A study published in Forensic Research & Criminology International Journal states, “Those who engage in cruelty to animals were [three] times more likely to commit other crimes, including murder, rape, robbery, assault, harassment, threats, and drug/substance abuse.”

Community dogs are often subjected to human cruelty or struck by cars and commonly suffer from starvation, disease, or injury. Every year, many end up in animal shelters, where they languish in cages or kennels for lack of good homes. The solution is simple: sterilisation. Sterilising one female dog can prevent 67,000 births over six years, and sterilising one female cat can prevent 420,000 births over seven years.