The DC
and the SP are the two statutary heads of the body. The SPCA is a voluntary
body, supported by the district government and has two functions:
(a) The
rescue and care of all animals in the district. To rescue sick/abandoned
animals, to home and rehabilitate such animals.
(b) The
enforcement of laws related to animal cruelty. SPCA officers act as
special police officers and are given the power by the SP and Collector.
They can challan anyone breaking the laws on animals: overloading, illtreating,
selling illegal animals, bad and open slaughter houses/butcher shops,
trucks bringing in animals etc.
(c) To
proactively look after the local tanga wallah's horses, village cows
etc.
To achieve
these objectives the SPCA requires :
•Membership
•An elected
board that runs it along with a secretary who looks after day to day
management.
•A doctor
•Inspectors
to patrol the district. Each inspector has to read the PCA Act and all
the other relevant Acts and the rules framed thereunder.
In physical
terms it requires :
•Land
and a building to house the dispensary, office and rescued animals.
Often trucks with overloaded animals will be caught and these animals
will be confiscated so it is important to have space of a minimum of
4-5 acres.
•An ambulance
for rescue of sick and stray animals.
•A minimum
of two motorcycles for the inspectors
According
to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, it is mandatory for each
district to have a Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
This society has as its head, the local administrative head of the area
but it is run as an NGO. The local administrative head HAS to give it
land and a building and a grant for its inspectors.
(a) The
first step is for the administration to announce the making of the SPCA
and give advertisements in the papers asking for those interested to
sign the forms and fill in the membership fees before a particular date
- within 15 days of issue of the advertisement - at a particular designated
office.
(b) The
date of an election is then announced and the members have to stand
for the posts of President/ Vice president/Secretary/Treasurer.
(c) Elections
are held for the various posts and then the land, building is handed
over. Doctors and Inspectors are employed by the SPCA and it works both
to pick up and treat suffering animals and to catch offenders breaking
the PCA Act.
(d) Regarding
the financing for the first few years an annual grant is given to the
SPCA from the district administration in order to employ people, medicines,
petrol to run its rescue and policing work. Then the fines that are
collected by the SPCA from people violating the Act can either be given
to the SPCA so that it becomes self sufficient or the grant continues
and increases as its work expands.
(e) Where
SPCAs exist and do not work, orders should be given to the Commissioner
to call for fresh membership via the newspapers and to have a fresh
elections. Very often the SPCAs have been monopolised by a small coterie
of retired animal husbandry people and have never worked. The membership
is sealed and no one is allowed to come into the organisation.
In order
not to let the SPCAs fail or be misused even in spirit, It is suggested
that persons with a background in animal husbandry should not be appointed
to these SPCAs. It is found that SPCAs are usually cornered by retired
animal husbandry officials and they are completely uninterested in actually
helping animals. After all they have spent an entire life producing
animals for meat and pushing files. Another problem is businessmen who
capture SPCAs and then do nothing except use them as cattle sheds. Therefore,
we have defunct SPCAs in most parts of India. The best way to get young
blood, fresh enthusiasts, private vets etc. and people who genuinely
want to do something for animals and work for an institution is to put
an advertisement in the papers, make members, have an election and then
they should be taught the laws & start work.
