Friday, 22 April 2022 | PNS | Dehradun
The Dehradun district magistrate R Rajesh Kumar has issued a letter to the Dehradun municipal commissioner and all the executive officers of Nagar Panchayat/municipalities to look into the reported abuse of working animals. The district magistrate has stated that all the working used for various tasks should be mandatorily tagged by veterinary officer. Further, the local authorities will have to ensure these animals are not exploited and that proper food, water and shelter is given to them by their owner.
In a recent meeting with the district magistrate Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) member Rubina Nitin Iyer had discussed about animals being used for transporting loads and weddings. She had informed the district magistrate about how the working animals are being used in an inhumane and cruel manner and later abandoned if not of any use when sick or injured which also results in increasing the population of stray animals. They are not even provided basic food, water and shelter when in use, she stated.
“We have seen donkeys/mules/horses and buffaloes used for various kind of work, be it for transporting household material or commercial activities like illegal mining and weddings among others. These animals are kept in dirty conditions without vaccination and none of the animals are tagged. These animals are later abandoned on the streets when they fall sick or are of no use. I have myself rescued many such animals- some are infected with deadly disease called glanders. With the changing times and a plethora of affordable options available there is no reason for an innocent animal to be put through extreme pain and suffering specially at weddings,” added Iyer.
She further informed that a letter had also been issued to the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) in the month of December, 2021 to affix weight chart in areas where excess overloading is been carried out. Two police complaints were also lodged with FIRs also being registered for ill treatment and overloading by owner of animals, she added.
