Kochi (Kerala): Kerala High Court's Division Bench has renamed a writ petition in memory of a dog, Bruno, who was beaten to death by three persons at Thiruvananthapuram's Adimalathura beach. The bench of Justices AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and P Gopinath renamed the writ petition as "In Re: Bruno". The Court observed that this would be a fitting tribute to the hapless dog who succumbed to acts of human cruelty. The Bench directed the registry to rename the writ in memory of the dog.
"To begin with, we direct the Registry to rename this writ petition as "In Re: Bruno (Suo Moto Public Interest Litigation Proceedings initiated by the High Court in the matter of executive and legislative inaction of the State Government in the matter of Protection of Animal Rights)". We feel that this would be a fitting tribute to the hapless dog that succumbed to acts of human cruelty, and disturbed by which incident we had initiated these proceedings."
The Court directed the State Government to file a report on the action taken on the complaint received from the owner of Bruno. The court also ordered the state government to explore the possibility of promoting and holding animal adoption camps throughout the state, at periodic intervals of not less than thrice a year, where persons can be encouraged to adopt animals that have been abandoned by their owners, and are left to wander in the streets in search of food and shelter.
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The court further asked the government to explore the possibility of entrusting the District Administrations across the State, with the power to enquire into complaints of infringement of animal rights and cruelty to animals, as also instances where persons are prevented from keeping pets of their choice in their residential apartments. Court also directed the Kerala State Animal Welfare State (KSAWS) to file a report before the court as regards the action taken to date on the complaint received from the owner of the dog. The court asked the KSAWS to draw up a feasible action plan towards implementing an awareness campaign to educate and sensitise citizens on the rights of animals and the corresponding duties and obligations required of them.
The court observed that "the veterinary hospitals and allied infrastructural facilities available within the State are in dire need of much-needed up-gradation and the state govt must take steps to improve these facilities. "We believe that immediate steps in this regard are required to initiate a change in the attitude of our citizenry to the welfare of animals so that gruesome incidents, such as those reported in the media in recent times, do not recur in future.
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"Our sole endeavour will be to alert the State Executive to the circumstances in which, and the extent to which, it will be required to act in the discharge of its constitutional and statutory obligations. We believe that a meaningful effectuation of rights can be achieved only when the different branches of Government work in concert, and it is this cooperation that we expect in the course of these proceedings."
Yesterday the Court registered a suo moto PIL to monitor state action in reported instances of cruelty to animals and in the matter of prevention of cruelty to animals. Following this, notices were issued to the Centre, State and Animal Welfare Board of India respectively. The PIL has registered after an incident of three people from Adimalathura in Thiruvananthapuram brutally beat a nine-year-old labrador dog to death.
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(ANI)
