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• If you can stop the vehicle yourself, accompany it to the nearest police station.

• If not, report the number at the nearest police post and ask for a wireless message to be sent ahead to detain the vehicle.

The police must check for the following violations:

• Number of animals. Having more than the prescribed number in a vehicle is a punishable offence at the rate of Rs 50 per extra animal.

• Condition of the animals. If there are any injured or dead animals, a case can be filed under IPC Sections 428 and 429, which make it a cognizable offence to maim or kill any animal with a monetary value greater than Rs 10.

• A lorry without a ramp, first aid kit, or feed and water arrangements.

• A lorry without a veterinary certificate and documentation stating the number of animals being transported, to whom the animals are going and the purpose of their transport.

• In the absence of such papers, it is reasonable to assume that overcrowded animals are being taken for slaughter, since the life and health of agricultural animals would not be risked in this way. Similarly, obviously old and emaciated cattle cannot be passed off as agricultural animals. In the case of cattle, crossing state borders is a violation of the Cattle Preservation Act.

• The police must confiscate both the vehicle and the animals. The animals must be sent to the closest animal shelter until the court passes a directive in the matter. Since the government has so few animal facilities, it is legitimate to use a private or NGO-run shelter.

• The overloaded vehicle should be unloaded and some of the animals shifted to additional vehicles before travelling to the shelter. The cost of using these vehicles must be borne by the offender.

• At the shelter, the condition of the animals must be stated in writing and the statement signed.

• In the case of young buffaloes (katras), the police must obtain a court directive forbidding the return of the animals to the owners, as it is evident that their transport is for the purpose of slaughter.

In the case of animals being sent by rail, look out for animals heading for West Bengal. There is a thriving illegal trade in cattle sent to West Bengal, which is one of the only two states in India where cow slaughter is legal. An organisation in Howrah issues certificates falsely stating that the cattle are being brought in for milch and agricultural purposes when the true purpose is slaughter. From West Bengal, they are often smuggled into Bangladesh.

Here is what you can do:

• Make sure the transporter has a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the DM’s office.

• If there is an NOC but the cattle are obviously old and emaciated, take photographs and file for a stay in the court of the sitting magistrate.

• Contact local animal welfare organisations and the media. Spotlight the issue.

• Day-old chicks are exported by air. This can be challenged under the PCA, Section 11, as it causes unnecessary suffering to such young birds.

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Indian Laws As They Apply to Animals and Transport

Under Section 11 of the PCA, it is illegal to transport any animal in a manner that will cause him or her unnecessary suffering. This includes carrying chickens upside down or stuffed into small cages loaded onto trucks, carrying pigs on cycles, etc.

The Transport of Animals Rules 1978 establish specific conditions for the transport of animals by foot, road, rail and air:

By Foot

• A veterinary certificate stating that the animals are fit to travel on foot shall accompany each animal.

• It is illegal to make the following types of animals travel on foot: newborn animals; diseased, blind, emaciated, lame, or fatigued animals; and animals who have given birth up to 72 hours prior to the time of travel.

• Animals can only be transported in the company of their on-farm social groups, which are to be established at least one week prior to the journey.

• Veterinary first aid must accompany the animals.

• Arrangements must be made to provide food and water to the animals.

• It is illegal to use a whip or a stick in order to make the animals move faster. It is also illegal to smear chillies or any other substances on the animals to cause them pain or to break their tails.

• Ropes should be covered with suitable cushioning such as cloth if they must be used in transport. If one animal is tied to another by a single rope, a minimum of two feet should be provided between the animals and the animals should be of similar strength and physical condition.

• No animal shall be transported on foot in a manner that violates any of the distance, time, rest interval and temperature restrictions specified for such animals in the table below:

Species	Maximum Distance Covered Per Day/Hour	Maximum Number of Hours of Walking in One Day	Period of Rest (Interval)	Temperature Range Minimum/Maximum
Cow	30 km/day 4 km/hour	8 hours	Every 2 hours for water; 4 hours for food	12°C to 30°C
Buffalo	25 km/day 3 km/hour	8 hours	Every 2 hours for water; 4 hours for food	12°C to 30°C
Cow, Buffalo, Calf	16 km/day 2.5 km/hour	6 hours	Every 1_ hours for water; 3 hours for food	15°C to 25°C
Horse, Pony, Mule, Donkey	45 km/day 6 km/hour	8 hours	Every 3 hours for water; 6 hours for food	12°C to 30°C
Foal	25 km/day 4 km/hour	6 hours	Every 2 hours for water; 4 hours for food	15°C to 25°C
Goat, Sheep	30 km/day	6 hours	Every 1_ hours for	12°C to 30°C
	4 km/hour		water; 4 hours for food
Kid, Lamb	16 km/day 2.5 km/hour	6 hours	Every 1_ hours for water; 3 hours for food	15°C to 25°C
Pig	15 km/day 2 km/hour	8 hours	Every 1_ hours for water; 3 hours for food	12°C to 25°C
Piglet	10 km/day 1.5 km/hour	6 hours	Every 1_ hours for water; 3 hours for food	15°C to 25°C

Note: Every animal shall be given a break of 20 minutes after being given water and a break of one hour after being given food.

• It is illegal to make animals walk in heavy rain, thunderstorms or extremely dry or sultry conditions.

• Animals who have not been given shoes cannot be made to walk on hard cement, bitumen-coated or metalled roads, steep gradients or hilly and rocky terrain, regardless of weather conditions.

Any police officer above the rank of constable or any other person authorised in this regard by the central or state government or by the AWBI, by the general or special order, has the right to require the owner or person in charge of the animals to take the animal to the nearest magistrate. Inform a so-designated person if you suspect any of the above laws have been violated.

By Road

• Only four adult cattle or six calves may be carried per small truck. In any case, each cow should be given 2 square metres and an attendant should be able to move freely between the cattle.

• Only 40 sheep or goats may be carried per truck, and an attendant should be able to move freely between the animals.

• The minimum space for poultry within cages is 1'x1'x1' (feet) for chickens and 2'x2'x2' (feet) for hens and cocks.

• All trucks carrying animals must be fitted with a ramp.

• Animals must be accompanied by an attendant.

• Food and water must be provided during long journeys.

• Animals must be accompanied by a veterinary certificate verifying that the animals are free from disease.

• The name and address of the owner, the number of animals being carried and the destination must be clearly marked on the truck.

• Vehicle floors should be matted or grooved to prevent slippage.
• The vehicle must travel at a measured, uniform speed to avoid discomfort to the animals.

By Rail

• Any animal “cargo” by rail must be accompanied by a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the district magistrate’s (DM’s) office.

• As far as possible, travel must be done at night, and the animals fed and rested during the day.

• There must be an attendant travelling with the animals.

• Proper food and water provisions must be made for the journey.

• No pregnant, sick or injured animals should be part of the consignment.

• The animals must be accompanied by a veterinary certificate verifying that the animals are free from disease.

• There must be a first aid kit available in case of emergencies en route.

• All animal consignments must have proper documentation giving the number of animals, name and address of the consignee and purpose for which the animals are being taken.

• Floors must be matted to prevent slippage.

By Air

• Animals must be placed in a proper crate. Travelling crates must be large enough to allow the animals to stand and turn.

• Animals must be accompanied by relevant documentation.