ACTIVISTS RESCUE 5 ABANDONED CATS, SLAM RWA ACTION
The rescue of five abandoned domestic cats has triggered a mystery. Animal activities rescued the cats in Medchal. They alleged that a residential welfare association in Gundlapochampally had hired professional cat catchers to catch the cats and release them elsewhere.
Cases have been booked against Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act for alleged abandoning and killings of cats.
Dattatraya Joshi, People For Animals (PFA) in Hyderabad, said the city was witnessing more cases of abandonment of pets than usual. He said under Section 11 (i) of PCA Act, 1960 abandoning an animal, leaving it in a situation that it suffers pain due to starvation or thirst is a punishable offence.
Joshi alleged that a cat catcher gang led by one Ashok had caught the cats at the gated community in a inhumane way and abandoned them at a nearby river in Mechal.
“We enquired into the incident and filed a case against the cat catchers at Petbasheerabad on August 23. Police caught three persons and booked a case and assured that the cats will be released in the same neighbourhood,” Joshi said.
Curiously it was found that the felines that the cat catchers brought with them were not the ones seen in CCTV footage.
“On August 29, we came to know that the accused brought with them different cats to the police. In a span of a week, the accused have committed two crimes. We have learnt that the accused have been selling cats to those who eat them,” Joshi alleged.
If found guilty the accused can be imprisoned for three months including a fine under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, Joshi said. The fine is just `50.
This reporter tried to reach civic authorities but no one was available for comment.