Section 3: Offences of cruelty to animals
consolidated text (as at 1999). juris shows the text as it was consolidated; it does not confirm that this is the law in force today.
3. Offences of cruelty to animals
(1) Any person who—
(a) (i) illtreats, over-rides, over-drives, overloads, tortures, infuriates or terrifies an animal;
(ii) causes, procures, or, being the owner, permits an animal to
P25 – 1 [Issue 1]
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act
be treated in a manner specified in subparagraph (i);
(iii) by wantonly or unreasonably doing or omitting to do an
act, or causing or procuring the commission or omission of
an act, causes unnecessary suffering, or, being the owner,
permits unnecessary suffering to be caused, to an animal;
(b) drives, rides, loads, or otherwise causes to labour, an animal
which a hurt, a wound, or lameness, or excessive leanness has
rendered unfit for labour;
(c) conveys, or carries, or causes or procures, or being the owner,
permits to be conveyed or carried, an animal in such manner or
position as to cause that animal unnecessary suffering;
(d) (i) causes, procures, or assists at, the fighting or baiting of an
animal;
(ii) keeps, uses, manages, or acts or assists in the management of, any premises or place for the purpose of fighting
or baiting an animal, or permits any premises or place to be
so kept, managed, or used;
(iii) receives, causes or procures any person to receive money
for the admission of any person to those premises or place;
(e) (i) wilfully, without any reasonable cause or excuse, administers, or causes or procures, or, being the owner, permits
the administration of a poisonous or injurious drug or substance to an animal;
(ii) wilfully, without any reasonable cause or excuse, causes a
substance mentioned in subparagraph (i) to be taken by an
animal; or
(f) subjects, or causes, procures, or, being the owner, permits to be
subjected, an animal to an operation which is performed without
due care and humanity,
shall commit an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not
exceeding 5,000 rupees and to imprisonment for a term not exceeding
12 months.
(2) For the purposes of this section, an owner shall be deemed to have
permitted cruelty within the meaning of this Act if he has failed to exercise
reasonable care and supervision in respect of the protection of the animal.
(3) This section shall not—
(a) —
(b) apply to the commission or omission of an act in the course of
the destruction, or the preparation for destruction, of an animal
as food for mankind, unless the destruction or preparation was
accompanied by the infliction of unnecessary suffering.
[S. 3 amended by Act 5 of 1999.]
[Issue 1] P25 – 2