Pet attacks on the rise: How the law deals with it
Indian laws do deal with pet attacks strictly. Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), if any pet animal attacks a human, the owner can be fined up to Rs 5,000 and also can face imprisonment for up to 6 months.
New Delhi: According to a report in a leading daily, India has witnessed 22 lakh dog bite cases and 5 lakh cases of bites by other animals including monkeys in 2024 alone. The attacks put a question mark on India's attempt at becoming rabies free by 2030. These attacks killed a total of 48 people, said the report. Government data showed that around 20% children were victims of animal bites. Recently several posh societies in Delhi-NCR reported increasing cases of pets attacking society residents, including children. Here are a few of the recent cases:
1. Pet dog attacks girl in Noida lift: In a case reported from Sector 107 Noida, a pet beagle attacked a school girl while she was inside the lift. The incident was captured on CCTV. It showed the lift opening on a certain floor and as the girl is about to get out, the dog enters the lift and bites her. The footage shows the girl, seemingly bitten on her arm, writhing in pain. A man believed to be the dog's owner is then seen rushing in and pulling the dog away from the child. Thus it prevented further harm. This incident was reported from Lotus 300 society.
2. Dog attacks domestic help: In yet another case of a pet attacking people inside the society, a woman working as a domestic help in a society in Greater Noida was attacked by a German Shepherd. The incident happened in January 2024 in Galaxy Royal Society in Gaur City 2. The 34-year-old woman was reportedly waiting in the gallery on the 18th floor of one of the towers in the building, when the pet animal pounced on her. The woman used to work in one of the houses on the floor. She was not employed at the residence of the pet owner. The woman was severely injured in the attack.
3. Pitbull attacks child in Noida: In May 2024, an 8-year-old boy was reportedly attacked by a pet Pitbull in Sorkha area of Noida. A complaint regarding the matter was filed at the Sector 113 police station. According to the complainant, the boy was visiting his Aunt in the area, when the dog which belongs to one of her neighbours attacked the child. The dog was not muzzled, said the boy's father. The child had bite marks at 5 places on his body, including his hands and stomach, cried his parents. The police had registered a case against the dog owner in the matter.
4. Pet Golden Retriever attacks doctor: In the incident reported in November 2023, a doctor was left severely injured when a pet Golden Retriever attacked her in the Gardenia Galleria society of Noida Sector 46. The woman had to get 3 stitches on her wounds which were categorised as 'category 3' bite in medical terms. The doctor said that she might need surgery in future if the wounds did not heal.
Laws dealing with pet attacks in India
Indian laws do deal with pet attacks strictly. Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), if any pet animal attacks a human, the owner can be fined up to Rs 5,000 and also can face imprisonment for up to 6 months. Section 291 of BNS deals with negligent conduct regarding animals. It penalizes those who knowingly or negligently fail to take adequate measures to prevent an animal in their possession from causing harm to human life or grievous injury.
Apart from this in recent cases of pet attacks the owners have been booked under various sections of the erstwhile Indian Penal Code. For instance in the case of the Noida Pitbull attack, the dog owner was booked under Section 289 (negligent conduct with respect to animal) of the IPC. In other cases, IPC Section 504 (intentional provocation to breach peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) have also been invoked against pet owners if their furry friends attack any person.