‘Will Galgotias University Donate Robo Dog, Orion, To Help Replace Animals In Circuses?’ Asks PETA India

PETA India has approached Galgotias University to donate the controversial robot-dog ‘Orion’, which was recently displayed at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, to help replace and rehabilitate real dogs used by circuses.

In a letter to the Chancellor of Galgotias University, Shri Suneel Galgotia, PETA India’s Vice President of Policy, Khushboo Gupta, asks,

“PETA India requests that Galgotias University consider donating Orion to a circus via PETA India so that it may be used to replace real dogs used in shows who we can then rehome to loving families or in a sanctuary. Through this donation, the University can help spotlight how technology can be used to stop the suffering of animals…The donation of Orion would show that Galgotias University is committed to animal welfare and using technology for good. Your students could even play a direct role by training circus performers to use the technology and by supporting their smooth transition to humane, tech-driven alternatives.”

Numerous species such as dogs, horses, camels, goats and birds continue to suffer and are forced to perform confusing tricks, live a stressful life of violence and other cruelty in circuses such as constant travel and being caged or chained when not in use. Decades of documentation show animals used in circuses are jabbed with weapons, whipped, and kept in small, filthy cages or tied or chained for long hours. Meanwhile, birds’ wings are mutilated to prevent them from flying away. Animals in circuses endure chronic stress, exhaustion, injuries, and psychological trauma as a direct result of these abusive conditions.

Public sentiment strongly supports ending animal use in circuses. More than 193,930 individuals, including school children, celebrities, and over 100 veterinarians, have appealed for an end to the use of animals in circuses. Greece, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus, Malta, Slovenia, Guatemala and Honduras already prohibit the use of animals in circuses, and Italy is working toward implementing a similar policy.

Two regulatory bodies, the Animal Welfare Board of India and the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), have recognised that animal circuses are inherently cruel and that the use of animals in circuses in India should be prohibited. PETA India has filed a petition in the High Court of Delhi seeking a ban on the use of animals in circuses through the central government’s notification of the draft Performing Animals (Registration) (Amendment) Rules, 2018.

PETA India notes that, as India advances towards its vision of becoming a global technology leader, there is an opportunity to use technology to uplift animals’ lives while securing livelihoods. It awarded circuses such as Rambo and Gemini for their progressive decision to introduce mechanical animals, replacing animal suffering with innovation to entertain patrons.

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