Organisers of greyhound racing in Moga booked

In a major crackdown on illegal greyhound racing, the Moga police have registered a case against some persons for organising unauthorised dog races, highlighting the blatant violation of animal welfare laws.

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Among the accused are Harinder Singh, alias Lali, and Harmel Singh of Daroli Bhai village. Some other accused are yet to be identified.

The case was filed following a complaint lodged by Saloni Sakaira, cruelty response coordinator at PETA-India and Animal Welfare Representative of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), the Government of India. The complaint highlights serious violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act-1960 and a 2020 directive issued by AWBI, which explicitly bans all forms of dog races in India.

According to the complaint, the animal welfare board had issued an official directive to the Chief Secretary of Punjab on December 7, 2020, categorically stating that all animal races, including greyhound racing, were illegal under the PCA Act-1960. The directive further warned that organising such races amounted to contempt of the Supreme Court of India and violated multiple legal provisions.

Under Section 3 and Section 11 (1)(a) of the PCA Act, 1960, animal caretakers are legally obligated to prevent unnecessary pain and suffering. However, greyhound racing has been deemed inherently cruel, causing severe physical and psychological distress to the animals.

Investigations have revealed that greyhounds are forced to run at dangerously high speeds, leading to serious injuries.

The organisers face legal consequences, and further investigations are underway to identify other individuals involved in the illegal activity.