After learning that a pigeon was held at the Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Hospital for Animals (BSDPHA) in Parel as case property for an astonishing eight months, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India sprang into action to secure the bird’s freedom from captivity. A PETA India representative contacted officials at Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers (RCF) Police Station to request that they take cognizance of the matter and, without further delay, grant formal permission for the hospital to release the pigeon. The bird was released yesterday on the hospital premises by Colonel (Retd) Dr BB Kulkarni, chief medical superintendent of the BSDPHA.
In May 2023, the RCF Police Station found a pigeon with a message on their wings in illegible writing, which led to suspicion of spying and caused police to seize the bird, who was sent to the BSDPHA for a medical examination as part of an investigation. Recently, the hospital informed police that the pigeon was still in its custody and sought permission to release the bird, who is healthy and therefore occupying a cage unnecessarily. After failing to receive an appropriate response, PETA India intervened by reaching out to the police. Following successful persuasion, the police promptly granted a no objection certificate to the hospital, allowing for the bird’s release.
“PETA India extends gratitude to the BSDPHA for caring for the bird all these months,” says PETA India Cruelty Response Coordinator Saloni Sakaria. “PETA India also commends the RCF Police Station for acceding to its request by promptly granting permission to the hospital and helping to set the bird free.”
The Honourable High Court of Gujarat, vide its judgement in Abdulkadar Mohamad Azam Sheikh vs State of Gujarat & Ors, dated 12 May 2011, stated that birds have a fundamental right to live free in the open sky and maintained that they should not be caged. The Honourable High Court of Delhi, in its order dated 15 May 2015, also acknowledged the fundamental right of birds to fly and ruled that caging them for business or other purposes should not be permitted.
