Section 27: Exemptions

Overview

Section 27 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, provides certain exemptions to the general rules against cruelty to animals. It essentially states that the Act’s provisions do *not* apply to specific activities considered necessary for public service, education, or scientific advancement. These activities include training animals for military or police purposes, and displaying animals in zoos or by recognized educational/scientific bodies.

Key Provisions

• Exempted Activities: The section specifically exempts bona fide (genuine) military or police training and the exhibition of animals that have been trained for these purposes. It also exempts animals kept by zoological gardens or bodies officially recognized for educational or scientific exhibitions.
• Bona Fide Requirement: The training or exhibition must be ‘bona fide’ – meaning it must be genuine and conducted in good faith. This implies a legitimate purpose and not simply a pretext for cruelty.
• Recognized Bodies: For educational or scientific exhibitions, the body conducting the exhibition must be ‘recognised’. This suggests official approval or accreditation by a relevant authority.

Practical Impact

This section allows the military and police to train animals for essential duties (like bomb detection or search and rescue) without fear of prosecution under the Act. It also allows zoos and recognized institutions to display animals for public education and scientific study. Without this exemption, these activities could be challenged as causing unnecessary pain or suffering. It doesn’t *permit* cruelty, but acknowledges that some level of handling and training is unavoidable in these specific contexts.

Examples

• Example 1: Police Dog Training – A police force training dogs to detect explosives is exempt from cruelty charges, even if the training involves some level of stress for the dogs, as it’s considered bona fide police training.
• Example 2: Zoological Garden Display – A zoological garden displaying lions in an enclosure is exempt, even though keeping a lion in captivity might be considered restrictive. This is because the zoo is a recognised body exhibiting animals for educational purposes. However, if the zoo is found to be deliberately mistreating the lions (beyond what is reasonably necessary for their care), the exemption would likely not apply, and the zoo could still be prosecuted under other sections of the Act.