PETA CAUTIONS MUMBAI HOTELS NOT TO ABUSE 'SECURITY' DOGS

For Immediate Release:

16 September 2009

Contact:

Madhuri Deshmukh (0) 98234 19288; MadhuriD@petaindia.org

Mumbai -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India has just one word for Mumbai hotel operators who are abusing, overworking or neglecting the dogs they use for security at hotel entrances: Don't! In a letter to every major hotel in the city, PETA points out that denying dogs basic sustenance and forcing them to work long hours without breaks is both cruel and a violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. In many cases, "sniffer" dogs suffer immensely when they're forced to work non-stop in all weather extremes, including during the monsoon season.

Although PETA encourages all hotels to adopt modern, non-animal security measures, for those businesses that insist on using dogs, PETA suggests the following guidelines:

·        The hotel must ensure that the dogs it uses for security are treated humanely and provided with adequate food, water, shelter, veterinary care, rest and companionship.

·        Training should be humane and interactive, never dangerous or stressful.

·        The hotel must also ensure that the dogs live with loving families during off-duty hours -- not in barren kennels -- and that they aren't abandoned to uncertain fates (or killed) when they are no longer considered useful.

PETA points out that dogs are highly social pack animals with feelings and needs and that it is unacceptable to exploit them.

"Many 'sniffer' dogs in Mumbai are overworked and deprived of basic necessities such as food, water and medical care", says PETA's Madhuri Deshmukh. "All dogs -- including those who are forced to work -- crave love and companionship, so we're urging every Mumbai hotel that uses dogs to retire them to loving homes and replace them with modern security equipment."

PETA's letter is part of an ongoing campaign to bring much-needed relief to the lives of sniffer dogs who are used by security agencies, including police and the Railway Protection Force.

PETA's letter to Mumbai's hotels is available upon request. For more information, please visit PETAIndia.com.

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