FIR registered against snake rescuer, two others for trying to sell pup

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An FIR was registered against a self-proclaimed snake rescuer and two others who were illegally trying to sell an American Bully pup after performing a banned ear-cropping surgery on him in contravention of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing) Rules, 2017, and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) Rules, 2018. The FIR was registered at Kasturba Marg police station in Borivali East with the support of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India and animal rights activist Vaishali Chawhan. The pup was less than two months old and underweight, had crudely trimmed ears, and suffered from inflammation and infection of the skin as a result of being forced to live in unhygienic conditions.

26-year-old Karan Parkar, who is one of the accused was trying to sell the pup by posting his videos on WhatsApp. Vaishali Chawhan, who is an animal rights activist from Borivali, saw his message and got in touch with PETA India's emergency response team. The team worked with Vaishali and Kasturba Marg police station officials to identify Parkar and file an FIR against him. He and two of his accomplices have been booked by the police under Sections 34 and 429 of the Indian Penal Code, along with Sections 3, 11(1)(a), (l), and 38(3) of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960. The pup was seized and is now in the safe custody of Vaishali and is getting necessary veterinary care.

"Performing traumatising, acutely painful mutilations on dogs just to satisfy the arbitrary whims of humans regarding how these animals should look is immoral and illegal," says PETA India Lead Emergency Response Coordinator Meet Ashar. "PETA India is calling on the public to report anyone who takes blades, knives, or scissors to dogs' ears or tails for cosmetic purposes so that they can be prosecuted."

Previously, PETA India sent letters to numerous Indian veterinary regulatory bodies, including the Veterinary Council of India, state veterinary councils, central and state animal-husbandry departments, veterinary colleges and universities, and veterinarians' associations, as well as the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) - a statutory body established under the PCA Act - urging them to implement and enforce the ban on the cosmetic tail-docking and ear-cropping of dogs as per the 2017 and 2018 Rules. And in July this year, the Madras High Court confirmed a ban on tail-docking and ear-cropping puppies and dogs in view of the enactment of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing) Rules, 2017, and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) Rules, 2018.

PETA India - whose motto reads, in part, that "animals are not ours to abuse in any way" - points out that ear-cropping, or cutting off a portion of a dog's ears, even when performed by a veterinarian under general anaesthesia, causes post-surgery pain and psychological trauma and can lead to complications such as infection. After the procedure, the cropped ears are taped and re-taped to try to force them into a pointed shape, causing dogs further distress. Some breeders take matters into their own hands and use scissors or a blade to cut dogs' ears without pain relief. Even when done by veterinarians, tail-docking is usually performed on puppies with scissors or a scalpel and without pain relief. As an alternative, breeders often use a ring to cut off the blood supply to the tail so that it eventually falls off.

Those who perform these procedures disregard how essential these body parts are to dogs - they use their tails for balance and their ears and tails to communicate with their human guardians and other dogs.

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