RAIPUR: Five dogs allegedly being used illegally for performances by a circus in Chhattisgarh’s Sakti district were rescued after a joint intervention by PETA India, an NGO and district police on Monday. The action was carried out after video footage reportedly showed Indian Spitz dogs being made to perform at Jyoti Circus, which had recently camped at the Dabhra Mela in the district. According to PETA India, the dogs were being used without the mandatory performing animals registration certificate required under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.A video from the circus showed the dogs placed on separate plastic chairs inside the performance arena while a ringmaster directed them through gestures and commands. Four of the dogs were allegedly made to walk on their hind legs in formation during the act.PETA India said five dogs were handed over during the intervention and will now be rehabilitated and put up for adoption.“Animals used in circus performances are subjected to unnatural, stressful training, constant travel and are caged or chained when not in use,” Kiran Ahuja from PETA India. Immediate assistance was provided by Sakti SP Prafulla Thakur that enabled the rescue.She also urged the circus to surrender any remaining dog or other animals allegedly being kept for performance.Animal rights groups have long argued that circus animals are exposed to harsh living conditions, inadequate care and coercive training methods. PETA India said multiple inspections and investigations in the past had pointed to cruelty in animal circuses, including confinement, lack of proper veterinary attention and stress-linked repetitive behaviour.The group has advocated replacing live animals in circuses with mechanical alternatives, noting that some circus operators have already shifted to non-animal acts.Police are yet to lodge a case in the matter against the circus management.
