Delhi: Dozens of ‘Animals’ in Traditional Regional Attire to Appeal for Stronger National Animal Protection Laws 

For Immediate Release:

18 September 2026

Contact: 

Utkarsh Garg; [email protected] 

Varulika Dixit; [email protected]  

New Delhi — Dozens of supporters of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals India (PETA India) wearing geometric animal masks of cows, chickens, crocodiles, dogs, cats, monkeys, and horses, among others—wearing traditional attire from states across India including Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Meghalaya, and Gujarat—will gather at Ramlila Maidan on Friday, standing before a giant banner reading, “Animals Are Indians Too, We Deserve Stronger Protection Under Indian Law,” to request lawmakers to update a six-decade-old law, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960—and its pocket-change penalties—with real protection for animals. PETA India urges jail time, meaningful fines, mandatory counselling, and a ban on future contact with animals for animal abusers. 

When: Friday, 18 September 2026, 12 noon sharp 

Where: Ramlila Maidan Protest Site, Asaf Ali Rd, Kamla Market, Ajmeri Gate, New Delhi, Delhi 110006 

Recently, and for the first time, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) tracked cases of cruelty against animals in the country and compiled the data, noting registration of 9,039 cases and the arrest of 10,312 persons in 2024. Maharashtra recorded the highest number of such cases at 2,927, followed by Telangana 1,890, Kerala 1, 510, Uttar Pradesh with 1,121, Karnataka with 320, Tamil Nadu 259 and Gujarat 181. 

The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act was passed in 1960. Now over sixty-five years old, it is severely outdated, with the penalties it prescribes as low as Rs 10 and a maximum of only Rs 50 for a first offence. (The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, however, prescribe stronger punishments for cruelty to animals.) 

“Whether they have fur, feathers, fins, or scales, animals feel fear and pain just as we do. They are our neighbours, they share our country, and they deserve the protection of its laws. We urge Indians to speak up for them and lawmakers to strengthen the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act with meaningful fines, jail time, mandatory counselling, and restrictions on future contact with animals for abusers,” says PETA India Lead, Campaigns and Creative Projects Utkarsh Garg. 

Research shows that people who commit acts of cruelty to animals are often repeat offenders who move on to hurting other animals, including humans. A study published in Forensic Research & Criminology International Journal stated, “Those who engage in cruelty to animals were [three] times more likely to commit other crimes, including murder, rape, robbery, assault, harassment, threats, and drug/substance abuse. 

PETA India – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way” – has long urged the strengthening of the PCA Act, 1960, including through a proposal sent to the central government. For more information on PETA India, please visit PETAIndia.com or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
 

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