DogExpress
Mumbai: A complaint against Puppy Cuddles Dog Café has been filed from ‘People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals India’. According to the organization, the dogs in the café were being caged, hit, and denied adequate food.
Based on the complaint filed by the group with the Maharashtra Animal Welfare Board (MAWB) and the Mumbai District Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), the SPCA issued a notice to the owner of the café to shut it down.
It also directed that the café cannot operate because it does not have the required permission from the relevant authorities. The has been closed since then.
Reportedly, the dog café used to provide dog boarding services. A boarding kennel operator is required to be registered with the State Animal Welfare Board, in this case, the MAWB, as mandated by the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960 and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing) Rules, 2017.
According to the rules, to register with the MAWB, the establishment must qualify under specific terms and conditions which are intended to protect animals.
Caging the dogs and failing to provide them with adequate exercise doesn’t provide sufficient opportunity for movement is an apparent violation of the PCA Act and the 2017 Rules, informed PETA Indian Emergency Response Team Associate Manager, Meet Ashar.
Source: The Times of India
in Chandigarh, India. 
