Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA)

Various Non-Profit organizations all across the globe, working in the field of animal welfare are called Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). They work independently of each other with their own sets of guidelines and policies stating their mode of functioning with respect to the protection of animals from cruelty, pain and unnecessary suffering.

SPCAs in India

Vide The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Establishment and Regulation of Societies for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) Rules made by the Central Government in 2001, every state government was supposed to establish SPCA for each and every district in the state within six months from the commencement of the above-stated rules.

Functions of the SPCAs

The primary function of the SPCA is to help the state government, the Animal Welfare Board of India and local authorities such as municipal board, State Animal Welfare Board, District Board or any local animal welfare organization authorized by any law in enforcing the provisions of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
The SPCAs are also authorized under the rules to make bye-laws and guidelines as and when required for the efficient discharge of their duties and to contribute to the animal welfare of the relevant district.
The SPCA has been authorized to search and seize any animal from any person who has committed an offence under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. It can also authorize a person to do the same on its behalf.
The SPCAs are supposed to construct animal shelters and infirmaries to protect and treat the animals who are victims of cruelty, for which the state government has to provide all the facilities including land and finance.
It is the duty of the SPCA to supervise the functioning of all the animal shelters and infirmaries in its area, including the ones which were already existing when the rules came into force, and further, to appoint an administrator, a full-time veterinarian and other staff required for the proper function of the same.

Annual Report

Under the rules, it is mandatory for every SPCA to submit an annual report to the state welfare board detailing the welfare measures taken by it during the year. Further, it has to mention all the relevant steps taken, in order to enforce the provisions of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. The State Animal Welfare Board on receiving the report can give directions to the SPCA for further improvement in carrying out its functions.

Current Status of SPCAs in India

A number of State Governments have failed to constitute the State Animal Welfare Board as well as the SPCAs due to which the Apex Court vide order dated 06-08-2008 in a Writ Petition (Civil) No. 440 OF 2000 directed the State Governments to constitute the State Animal Welfare Boards within a period of three months and to oversee the constitution of SPCAs for each and every district. Thereafter in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 881 of 2004 vide order dated 13-07-2015, the Apex Court once again directed the State Governments to constitute SCPAs and gave a four weeks’ time for the same. Interestingly, more than a decade has passed since the initial order but only a few states have formed the State Board for Animal Welfare and the SPCAs. Lately, Ms Gauri Maulekhi, an animal rights activist has filed a fresh writ petition in the Hon'ble Supreme Court praying the court to direct the State Governments to constitute the relevant bodies under the act. Kindly check the relevant orders of the Apex Court hereinbelow:- Writ Petition (Civil) No. 440 OF 2000 Order dated 06-08-2008

/jonew/bosir/orderpdfold/704124.pdf Writ Petition (Civil) No. 881 of 2004 Order dated 13-07-2015 /jonew/bosir/orderpdfold/2248612.pdf To find out more about the status of the State Animal Welfare Board as well as the SPCAs established by the state government of your home state, kindly visit the website of the Animal Husbandry Department of the concerned state. An RTI can also be filed in order to get all the relevant details including the current status of the board & the SPCAs, the name of the officers deputed by the government, the budget allocated to the board for a particular year etc. The website links for the Animal Husbandry Department of every state are given herein below:-

State	Link
Andhra Pradesh	/AHMS/Views/Home.aspx
Arunachal Pradesh	/?page_id=1347
Assam	/
Bihar	/
Chhattisgarh	/division/chhattisgarh
Goa	/department/animal-husbandry-and-veterinary/
Gujrat	/index.htm
Haryana	/
Himachal Pradesh	/hpagris/AnimalHusbandry/Default.aspx?SiteID=3&PageID=982&Language=En
Jharkhand	/division/jharkhand
Karnataka	/en-home.asp
Kerala	/
Madhya Pradesh	/
Maharashtra	/
Manipur	/
Meghalaya	/
Mizoram	/
Nagaland	/division/nagaland
Orissa	/
Punjab	/default.aspx
Rajasthan	/
Sikkim	/contact_no_of_officials.html
Tamil Nadu	http://agritech.tnau.ac.in/animal_husbandry/animhus_index.html
Telangana	/Departments/animal-husbandry-and-fisheries
Tripura	/
Uttar Pradesh	/en
Uttarakhand	/
West Bengal	/

Back to Learn

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in India.

The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) refers to various non-profit organizations across the globe that work independently in the field of animal welfare. They have their own guidelines and policies regarding the protection of animals from cruelty, pain, and unnecessary suffering.

In 2001, the Central Government made rules under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, requiring every state government to establish an SPCA for each district within six months of the rules' commencement.

The primary function of an SPCA is to assist the state government, the Animal Welfare Board of India, and local authorities in enforcing the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. SPCAs can also create bye-laws and guidelines for efficient discharge of their duties.

SPCAs are authorized to search and seize any animal from a person who has committed an offense under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. They can also authorize others to do so on their behalf.

SPCAs are supposed to construct animal shelters and infirmaries to protect and treat animals who are victims of cruelty. The state government must provide land and finance for these facilities. SPCAs must also supervise the functioning of all animal shelters and infirmaries in their area.

Under the rules, every SPCA must submit an annual report to the state welfare board, detailing the welfare measures taken during the year and the steps taken to enforce the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

Despite the Supreme Court's orders in 2008 and 2015, only a few states have formed the State Board for Animal Welfare and the SPCAs. A recent writ petition has been filed, seeking directions to state governments to constitute these bodies.

You can visit the website of the Animal Husbandry Department of your state or file an RTI (Right to Information) request to obtain details about the status of the State Animal Welfare Board and the SPCAs, including the officers deputed and the budget allocated.

The State Animal Welfare Board can provide directions to the SPCAs for further improvement in carrying out their functions after receiving the annual report from each SPCA.

The establishment of SPCAs is crucial for effectively enforcing the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and ensuring the welfare of animals by preventing cruelty, pain, and unnecessary suffering.