logo
India's unregulated pet care sector breeds scams, exploits animals and people

India's unregulated pet care sector breeds scams, exploits animals and people

Time of India10-06-2025
1
2
3
Pune: The lack of regulation in the animal welfare sector in India has allowed for the emergence of a breeding ground for fraudsters that exploit both animals and volunteers.
In the absence of proper oversight, there has been a disturbing proliferation of spurious animal shelters nationwide, operating as profit-making ventures while charging exorbitant monthly fees from rescuers and individuals.
The trend was exemplified in 2024, when a counterfeit shelter was set up near Delhi using the name of People for Animals, a well-known group run by Maneka Gandhi. "People have been calling me from across the country, particularly those familiar with our work at PFA, to inform us about this duplicity. An investigation is underway," Gandhi stated.
Puneeta Khanna, Pune unit head for PFA, explained to TOI that while people endeavour to "rescue" animals, they often lack the wherewithal for permanent adoption.
"They then relinquish the animals at any available shelter without conducting due diligence. They neither inspect the facilities nor research their credentials, simply transferring the animal and payments before disengaging completely. This prevalent behaviour enables fraudulent operations to flourish," she said.
Social media platforms have amplified duplicitous schemes, with fraudsters fabricating counterfeit NGO accounts and misappropriating content from legitimate organisations to conduct crowdfunding campaigns.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn
IC Markets
Đăng ký
Undo
Swindlers manipulate digital platforms, disseminating emotive posts and reels to solicit donations — which never reach intended beneficiaries.
Richa Singh Choudhuri, who runs a senior dog shelter in Delhi, revealed how fraudsters pilfered photographs and videos posted by genuine animal welfare NGOs seeking funds for medical treatments. "This recurring issue recently affected our campaign for Mozart, a dog requiring costly surgery for luxating patella.
Scamsters already pocketed thousands before some people informed us about their posts, and we messaged them to shut it down and threatened them with legal action.
While some perpetrators remove such posts when confronted, many persist, necessitating formal complaints," Choudhuri said.
The post-pandemic surge in pet boarding services also witnessed inexperienced individuals offering boarding facilities, where pets frequently endure confinement without adequate care.
Pet parent Pallavi Doshi shared her harrowing experience with a Bengaluru-based facility, where her dog went missing when she came back to pick him up after a four-day stay. "Despite promises of daily updates, they did not send us anything and stopped picking up our calls.
We spent our holiday in panic. When we rushed back to pick him up, they claimed our pet ran away. We searched high and low and offered rewards, but he was nowhere to be found.
Later, we were informed by others who gave bad reviews to the facility that they too faced similar issues with their breed male dogs and suspected that they were sold to breeders," said Doshi.
Many establishments operate without standardised criteria for staff recruitment, occasionally employing individuals who demonstrate cruelty towards animals. Incidents have surfaced on social media, including in Feb 2025, when a Chow Chow endured brutal treatment at a Thane pet clinic, and the Oct 2024 tragedy involving a Cocker Spaniel's death at a Noida boarding facility.
Vineeta Tandon, who manages Animal Rescue Trust in Pune, said too many shelters operate sans proper registration, staff or capabilities. "Many just procure shop act licences and function ignoring safety guidelines. The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) stipulates that shelters shouldn't retain healthy, self-sufficient animals or keep them caged. However, profit-driven facilities disregard this," she said.
"Healthy strays are unnecessarily removed from their natural habitat by emotional activists who believe institutional care is superior. They often end up confined without proper sustenance, contrary to natural street existence where they enjoy freedom and regular feeding," Tandon added.
This malpractice was evident when in Oct 2024, authorities rescued over 50 animals from a fraudulent shelter in Ravet. The proprietor distributed counterfeit receipts and falsely claimed veterinary credentials.
Similarly, in June last year, an illegal dog hostel was shut down in Jodhpur following PETA India's intervention, where animals had endured abusive training methods.
Geetanjali Taur, founder of Saahas for Animals, advocates for an urgent need for stringent industry regulation. "Transparency is key. When you find that an NGO is not being open for visitations and about their facilities or answering all questions, it should raise a red flag.
But it's time clear rules, standards, and guidelines are set and strictly implemented across all animal-related businesses and charitable establishments.
Volunteers must exercise prudence rather than making emotionally driven impulsive decisions that compromise animal welfare."
According to Meet Ashar, an animal rights advocate and cruelty case division legal advisor at PETA India, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in its current form does not strengthen legal protection for animals.
"While BNS removes different punishments based on the value of the animal and prescribes a uniform punishment for killing or maiming, irrespective of species, it has done more damage by totally removing the provision that penalised sexual abuse of animals," he pointed out.
Pune: The lack of regulation in the animal welfare sector in India has allowed for the emergence of a breeding ground for fraudsters that exploit both animals and volunteers.
In the absence of proper oversight, there has been a disturbing proliferation of spurious animal shelters nationwide, operating as profit-making ventures while charging exorbitant monthly fees from rescuers and individuals.
The trend was exemplified in 2024, when a counterfeit shelter was set up near Delhi using the name of People for Animals, a well-known group run by Maneka Gandhi. "People have been calling me from across the country, particularly those familiar with our work at PFA, to inform us about this duplicity.
An investigation is underway," Gandhi stated.
Puneeta Khanna, Pune unit head for PFA, explained to TOI that while people endeavour to "rescue" animals, they often lack the wherewithal for permanent adoption. "They then relinquish the animals at any available shelter without conducting due diligence. They neither inspect the facilities nor research their credentials, simply transferring the animal and payments before disengaging completely.
This prevalent behaviour enables fraudulent operations to flourish," she said.
Social media platforms have amplified duplicitous schemes, with fraudsters fabricating counterfeit NGO accounts and misappropriating content from legitimate organisations to conduct crowdfunding campaigns. Swindlers manipulate digital platforms, disseminating emotive posts and reels to solicit donations — which never reach intended beneficiaries.
Richa Singh Choudhuri, who runs a senior dog shelter in Delhi, revealed how fraudsters pilfered photographs and videos posted by genuine animal welfare NGOs seeking funds for medical treatments. "This recurring issue recently affected our campaign for Mozart, a dog requiring costly surgery for luxating patella. Scamsters already pocketed thousands before some people informed us about their posts, and we messaged them to shut it down and threatened them with legal action.
While some perpetrators remove such posts when confronted, many persist, necessitating formal complaints," Choudhuri said.
The post-pandemic surge in pet boarding services also witnessed inexperienced individuals offering boarding facilities, where pets frequently endure confinement without adequate care. Pet parent Pallavi Doshi shared her harrowing experience with a Bengaluru-based facility, where her dog went missing when she came back to pick him up after a four-day stay.
"Despite promises of daily updates, they did not send us anything and stopped picking up our calls.
We spent our holiday in panic. When we rushed back to pick him up, they claimed our pet ran away. We searched high and low and offered rewards, but he was nowhere to be found. Later, we were informed by others who gave bad reviews to the facility that they too faced similar issues with their breed male dogs and suspected that they were sold to breeders," said Doshi.
Many establishments operate without standardised criteria for staff recruitment, occasionally employing individuals who demonstrate cruelty towards animals. Incidents have surfaced on social media, including in Feb 2025, when a Chow Chow endured brutal treatment at a Thane pet clinic, and the Oct 2024 tragedy involving a Cocker Spaniel's death at a Noida boarding facility.
Vineeta Tandon, who manages Animal Rescue Trust in Pune, said too many shelters operate sans proper registration, staff or capabilities.
"Many just procure shop act licences and function ignoring safety guidelines. The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) stipulates that shelters shouldn't retain healthy, self-sufficient animals or keep them caged. However, profit-driven facilities disregard this," she said.
"Healthy strays are unnecessarily removed from their natural habitat by emotional activists who believe institutional care is superior.
They often end up confined without proper sustenance, contrary to natural street existence where they enjoy freedom and regular feeding," Tandon added.
This malpractice was evident when in Oct 2024, authorities rescued over 50 animals from a fraudulent shelter in Ravet. The proprietor distributed counterfeit receipts and falsely claimed veterinary credentials. Similarly, in June last year, an illegal dog hostel was shut down in Jodhpur following PETA India's intervention, where animals had endured abusive training methods.
Geetanjali Taur, founder of Saahas for Animals, advocates for an urgent need for stringent industry regulation. "Transparency is key. When you find that an NGO is not being open for visitations and about their facilities or answering all questions, it should raise a red flag. But it's time clear rules, standards, and guidelines are set and strictly implemented across all animal-related businesses and charitable establishments.
Volunteers must exercise prudence rather than making emotionally driven impulsive decisions that compromise animal welfare."
According to Meet Ashar, an animal rights advocate and cruelty case division legal advisor at PETA India, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in its current form does not strengthen legal protection for animals. "While BNS removes different punishments based on the value of the animal and prescribes a uniform punishment for killing or maiming, irrespective of species, it has done more damage by totally removing the provision that penalised sexual abuse of animals," he pointed out.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

RO/ARO exam held peacefully, 60% skip test
RO/ARO exam held peacefully, 60% skip test

Time of India

time18 minutes ago

  • Time of India

RO/ARO exam held peacefully, 60% skip test

1 2 Lucknow: The examination for the posts of review officer/assistant review officer (RO/ARO) was conducted smoothly and peacefully at 2,382 centres across the state on Sunday. According to officials, nearly 60% candidates skipped the examination as around 4.5 lakh students took the test out of total 10.7 lakh who had registered for the examination. UPPSC secretary Ashok Kumar said that Ayodhya recorded highest attendance with 52.8% candidates appearing for the examination, while Rampur registered the lowest at 25.8%. Participation in other major cities included 47.6% in Prayagraj, 48.9% in Lucknow, 44.4% in Kanpur, and 49.2% in Varanasi. "The highest number of 139 examination centres were set up in Kanpur, followed by Lucknow (129) and Prayagraj (106)," he said. "Cutting-edge security measures — including AI-based alert system, biometric verification, CCTV surveillance, and monitoring by the STF— ensured zero irregularities across the state. Dedicated teams monitored coaching centres and flagged suspicious behaviour to the authorities," an official said. "A special social media monitoring cell also kept a close watch on platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram to curb the spread of rumours or leaks," he added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Timeless & Modern: Unveiling a 96-Year-Old's Vision! Read More Undo Armed security and senior officials oversaw every step, from retrieval of papers from the treasury to the submission of answer sheets. To ensure secure identification at the entry point, biometric authentication and facial recognition technology were deployed. A complete ban was enforced on electronic devices, while an AI-powered alert system monitored for any suspicious activity and triggered instant warnings. The candidate identification and admission process for the RO/ARO exam was made entirely digital and foolproof. Centre allocation was carried out through computer-based randomisation to eliminate any scope for bias. The e-admit card was integrated with a One Time Registration (OTR) system, which involved an eight-point verification process, including details such as candidate's name, father's name, date of birth, category, high school roll number, and year of passing. Candidates Neeraj Chandra and Sachin Mathur from Varanasi, who appeared for the exam at a centre in Prayagraj, and Pooja from Pratapgarh said that the multi-layered screening and security checks were systematic and the entire process was smooth and transparent.

Anert's note contains blatant lies: Chennithala
Anert's note contains blatant lies: Chennithala

Time of India

time18 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Anert's note contains blatant lies: Chennithala

T'puram: Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said the note released by Anert in response to his questions to the electricity minister regarding the multi-crore scam related to the PM KUSUM scheme, which provides free solar pumps to farmers in Kerala, contains blatant lies. "This explanation confirms all the corruption allegations I have raised. Anert's note, filled with falsehoods, is part of the electricity minister's attempt to evade answering the allegations," Chennithala said. He said the official has listed such blatant lies to cover up the corruption conducted on behalf of the electricity minister. "We all witnessed what happened to the former principal secretary to the chief minister, who justified a consultancy corruption deal I exposed during the previous govt's tenure. The same fate awaits this official," he added. "If attempts to protect this corrupt official continue, another major corruption involving him will soon be exposed. The govt has become one that charges commissions through consultancies," Chennithala said. When Anert called for a tender worth Rs 240cr, the CEO's authority was only Rs 5cr. Anert's claim that they did not call for a Rs 240-cr tender is a blatant lie. Kerala's e-tender portal clearly recorded the Rs 240-cr tender. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Similarly, the explanation given for amending the financial bid is strange. The most important aspect of a financial bid is the amount recorded. Amending a bid means changing the amount, he added. Another major falsehood is the claim that the CAG report approved this tender process. The CAG report examining the tender processing of this period has not yet been released, making this claim a blatant violation of service rules by the Anert official concerned, he said. The beneficiaries of the commission from the multi-crore transactions through Anert will soon be revealed. The electricity minister can no longer evade this issue. "I have all the evidence and documents of the corruption and irregularities. I challenge the minister for a detailed investigation. The minister should face the investigation with dignity instead of hiding behind officials. An investigation of Anert's transactions over the past five years should be conducted, and the legislative assembly committee should recommend an inquiry," demanded Ramesh Chennithala.

Another arrest in Punjab RPG attack puts Armenia-based syndicate in focus
Another arrest in Punjab RPG attack puts Armenia-based syndicate in focus

Time of India

time18 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Another arrest in Punjab RPG attack puts Armenia-based syndicate in focus

1 2 Chandigarh: The special cell of Delhi Police has made another arrest in connection with the April 7 RPG attack at Qila Lal Singh police station in Punjab's Batala, nabbing 22-year-old Karanbir alias Karan from Gurdaspur in an Arms Act case registered at the special cell police station. An officer said he had confessed to his involvement in the rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack, which traces its roots to masterminds and handlers in the US, Greece, and Armenia. Karan, according to the special cell of Delhi Police, has allegiance with the banned terror group Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). His arrest came four days after another accused and alleged BKI operative, Akashdeep Singh alias Baaz (22), was arrested by the special cell from Indore on April 22. Both are residents of Chananke village in Amritsar district. Karan is the brother of Gursewak, who was among those already arrested by Punjab Police, an officer privy to the case details revealed. The Delhi Police officer said Karan spent three months in Armenia in 2024. He is accused of providing shelter to the perpetrators of the Qila Lal Singh police station attack and receiving funds sent by the handlers for the attack. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Resmed AirSense 11 with flat 20% off ResMed Buy Now Undo The officer also said two-three shooters of this syndicate have fled to Armenia, where one of the key components of this syndicate is based. The officer said Karan was also involved in other criminal activities carried out by the syndicate. Delhi additional commissioner of police Pramod Singh Kushwah said over the phone that after the arrest of Akashdeep from Indore, they learnt about Karanbir's involvement in the Qila Lal Singh police station attack case. "He was arrested in Gurdaspur on Sunday. He was part of the conspiracy and played a key role in the grenade attack," Kushwah said. The RPG attack case was initially probed by Punjab Police before it was handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) earlier this month. The special cell of Delhi Police had also started working on the BKI module allegedly involved in the attack after United States-based Happy Passia (arrested by the FBI in the US on April 17), Manu Agwan (who police believe is in Greece), and Gopi Nawanshahria (who police suspect to be in North America) claimed responsibility and threatened to carry out an attack in Delhi as well. Armenia-based Shera on radar Among others, Punjab Police have named Armenia-based Shamsher Singh aka Shera aka Honey as an accused in the Qila Lal Singh police station attack. According to Punjab Police, the associates of Shera were responsible for the retrieval and disposal of the RPG under his directions in the attack. Batala senior superintendent of police Suhail Qasim Mir said before giving the case to NIA, Punjab Police arrested a dozen accused, and Gursewak was one of them. "Armenia-based Shamsher Singh Shera is one of the accused," he said. Closely linked to now-arrested Happy Passia and Pakistani-based BKI terrorist Harwinder Singh Rinda, Shera, as per a police dossier, is described as a foreign-based active node of the Rinda-Passia terror network. The dossier reads, "He plays a key role in supporting the terror network by providing manpower, logistics, and financial aid for their nefarious activities." Shera is wanted by Punjab Police in FIRs linked to terrorism, organised crime, and anti-national acts, reads the dossier. Shera, a native of village Mann in Gurdaspur district, according to the police dossier, facilitated the targeted killing of Hardeep Singh, a resident of Jouria Kalan, Batala. He also tasked his local associates, Kuldeep Singh and Avtar Singh of Jalandhar, with carrying out target killings in the Ludhiana area. MSID:: 122936213 413 |

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store