The Enforcement, Vigilance & Disaster Management (EV&DM) team of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has identified and checked 36 pet stores in Hyderabad and Secunderabad in Telangana and has rescued and evacuated 14 alive animals locked in one shut pet shop in view of a nationwide lockdown.
According to Alokparna Sengupta, Managing Director of Humane Society International India, one of her colleagues saw one such store with alive animals inside, with no ventilation, pets roaming inside, and a puppy locked in a cage which was too small for it. They immediately alerted the police, and reached out to EV&DM wing of GHMC, and the owner of the store was notified. The owner of the store gave a written assurance that all necessary measures will be followed to ensure safety and wellbeing of the animals inside.
“You cannot treat pets in stores like objects. When they are there, they are your responsibility. You have to ensure their safety and wellbeing. Apart from feeding and water, they need attention, ventilation, exercise, otherwise these animals are going to be traumatized.” she said.
People reported many cases of live trapped animals inside closed pet shops across India during the lockdown and the authorities have promptly responded and rescued the trapped animals.
In a tweet on 23rd March, Lok Sabha member and animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi said, “Pet shops are locking up with their animals and birds inside. These will die in two days. If you see a pet shop and hear animals inside call the police or let me know at gandhim@nic.in.”
A day before the national lockdown was announced by the Prime Minister of India to curb transmission of Corona virus, the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) issued an advisory on 24th March stating to ensure no animal is stranded in pet shops without food, water, controlled temperature and other necessities.
It urged State Welfare Boards and District administrations to take necessary steps to check and evacuate all animals, if any, from all such pet shops to avoid pain and suffering to those animals.
