Animal Rights

PfA Kollam Chapter got reports that stray dogs were being killed in the Kulasekharapuram Panchayat, in Karunagappally. We immediately contacted the secretary of the Panchayat to stop the killing, and were able to ensure that the killings were stopped.

We further informed the secretary of the Animal Welfare Board of India. He sent a notice to the Chief Secretary, Govt. of Kerala, with copies to the Kollam District Collector, Kollam Superintendant of Police, and the Kollam Ombudsman. We also received a copy of this letter.

The Government in response sent orders to the Kollam Corporation and all panchayats to implement the Animal Birth Control program. PfA Kollam Chapter conducts ABC programmes in various panchayats.

PfA Kollam Chapter got reports that stray dogs were being killed in the Chathannoor Police Station, Kollam District. The Circle Inspector (a fellow animal lover) contacted us, and also faxed a message to the Secretary of the Animal Welfare Board of India.

We followed up by sending notices to the Secretary of Chathannoor Panchayat, the Sub Inspector of Police in Chathannoor, and the secretary of AWBI.

In the end, the Circle Inspector informed us that the AWBI secretary has written to the Kerala Government to stop the killing and implement the ABC programme.

PFA Kollam Chapter has teamed up with PFA Chennai Chapter to help captive elephants. Together, the two chapters have filed a writ petition in the High Court of Kerala against extreme cruelties towards captive elephants in the State. The Petition was requesting that the "Captive Elephant Management Rules - 2003" be implemented and enforced.

A "Gajamela" is a festival involving decorated elephants in processions and displays. Kollam has possibly the largest number of these yearly all over India. The Constitution of India has a provision "Rules for the Maintenance of Captive Elephants 2003", but there is no active authority to enforce these rules. Elephants are typically made to walk long distances without proper food or water, and ill-trained mahouts beat the animals brutally. PFA has begun to monitor these festivals, and appeals to the authorities (including the President of the Tranvancore Devaswom Board, The Chief Wildlife Warden, Director of Animal Husbandry, Director & Secretary of the Animal Welfare Board of India) when malpractice is observed.

In Kerala, the festival season is often a period of cruelty to snakes and other animals, used as props. A number of cinematic dance troupes use snakes on stage shows. Various troupes compete on their variety of snakes available to exhibit. The snakes are denied food and water, and are exposed to intense light on-stage.

PFA brought this to the notice of the Chief Conservator of Forests (Wild Life) in March, 2005. The Forestry Department immediately issued a press notification banning the use of snakes on stage. Later, the captive snakes were rescued and released to the forests.

Zoology degree students of Kerala University had to conduct a series of practical experiments on frogs.Four of these were on live frogs. The live frogs had to be pithed (destroying the spinal chord with a needle) without anasthesia. Due to severe pain the frogs scream and urinate. It had a traumatizing effect on the students and many could not do it.