Patiala Man Booked for Killing Dog in Cold Blood
After receiving information about the ruthless killing of a dog on the streets of Patiala, PETA India and the deceased community dog’s caregivers – Sandeep Singh, Kritika, Deveshi Khanna, Sourav Khosla, Vicky, and Pankaj – worked with the Kotwali Patiala Police Station to register a first information report (FIR) against the accused, Sanjay Gupta, under Section 429 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, and Section 11 of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960. The accused allegedly slit the canine’s throat with a large knife. The police are awaiting the postmortem report.
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 animal cruelty were [three] times more likely to commit other crimes, including murder, rape, robbery, assault, harassment, threats, and drug/substance abuse.”
PETA India has long campaigned for strengthening the PCA Act, 1960, which contains outdated, inadequate penalties, such as a maximum fine of only Rs 50 for convicted first-time offenders (although the IPC prescribes stronger punishments). In a proposal sent to the central government regarding an amendment to the act, PETA India recommended significantly increasing penalties for cruelty to animals.
