Illegal Cockfight Prevented in Goa Following PETA India Complaint

Upon receiving information about an illegal cockfighting event scheduled to take place in Bardez taluka, North Goa, through a promotional poster, PETA India took swift action. Working closely with the North Goa Police, timely intervention ensured that the event was successfully prevented from taking place.

The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960 prohibits inciting animals to fight with each other. In a landmark judgment in 2014, the Supreme Court of India ruled in favour of the petitioners, PETA India, and the government advisory body, the Animal Welfare Board of India, establishing that bullfighting, dogfighting, and any other staged fights between animals, including between humans and other animals, for entertainment, must end.

Forced to fight, roosters used in cockfights suffer punctured lungs, broken bones and pierced eyes. Their legs are often fitted with razor-sharp steel blades that have even killed and injured cockfighters and spectators. Illegal cockfighting events are associated with gambling and liquor consumption and are a menace in more ways than one. The transport and handling of roosters for cockfights significantly heighten the risk of spreading deadly bird flu, endangering public health. To foster a more peaceful and law-abiding society, we urge the police to take strong action against those involved and ensure they face the maximum penalties under the law.