Lexis Nexis’s The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 (Bare Act) – 2025 Edition.

Lexis Nexis’s The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 (Bare Act) – 2025 Edition.

Description:

The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted to prevent the infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering on animals and for that purpose to amend the law relating to the prevention of cruelty to animals.

Key Objectives and Provisions

The Act aims to prevent unnecessary suffering to animals. Section 3 establishes a duty of care for anyone in charge of an animal to ensure its well-being. The Act also led to the creation of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) to promote animal welfare and advise the government.

Chapter IV details the regulation of experiments on animals for scientific purposes, requiring bodies like the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA) and Institutional Animal Ethics Committees (IAEC) to ensure humane practices. Section 11 outlines and prohibits various cruel practices against animals, such as beating, overloading, and specific procedures like “phooka”.

The Act also regulates performing animals in Chapter V, requiring registration for exhibition and training, with courts having the power to prohibit performances causing suffering. Police and authorized persons have powers of search and seizure related to offences under the Act. Furthermore, the Act allows for the humane destruction of animals that are mortally or severely injured to prevent further suffering. Certain exemptions exist, including religious practices for killing animals and training for military or police purposes.

Penalties

Penalties under the Act are currently minimal, with fines for first offences between ten and fifty rupees, and higher fines or imprisonment for subsequent offences within three years. There have been proposals and draft amendments to significantly increase these penalties.

Details