Nose- roping of animals made last resort vide Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Animal Husbandry Practices and Procedures) Rules, 2023

On 21-3-2023, the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying notified the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Animal Husbandry Practices and Procedures) Rules, 2023. The provisions came into force on 21-3-2023.

Key Points:

1. Animal Husbandry Procedures: A Registered Veterinary Practitioner will do the following procedures of:
   • Dehorning of cattle
   • Castration
   • Branding
   • Nose roping
2. Manner of Castration:
   • It will be performed at an early stage using anesthesia and analgesia so that it causes least pain or suffering to the animal.
   • The animal has to be blind folded and humanely handled before and during the procedure and while giving anesthesia.
   • The animal should be placed on a soft ground on lateral recumbency with the head elevated.
3. Manner of Dehorning or Disbudding:
   • The animal has to be blind folded and humanely handled before and during the procedure.
   • Wherever selection and breeding of naturally hornless cattle is preferred as a policy, dehorning and disbudding will be discouraged.
4. Manner of Branding:
   • For identification: Alternative identification methods- ear-tagging, ear-notching, tattooing, use of radio frequency identification devices will be preferred.
   • Hot branding: only on dead tissues (hoofs/ horns)
   • Depth of branding: should not exceed 3rd or 4th of the thickness of the dead tissue
   • Sedatives and pre-emptive and post- procedural analgesics have to be given to the animals.
5. Manner of nose-roping: it is permissible as the last resort after exhausting all other methods to handle and restrain the animal.
   • Before piercing the nasal septum, sedative and pre-emptive analgesics will be given to the animal.
   • The ropes used should be made of natural fiber and should be smooth and non-abrasive.
6. Euthanasia of animals is allowed only if:
   • If the Central Government/ State Government finds that the disease is such that it can spread.
   • If the practitioner certifies that the injury/ physical condition is such that it will be cruel to keep it alive.
7. Prohibited practices that are cruel and harmful: inserting more than one rope, use of unnatural/ abrasive/ sharp materials for rope, elastration in adult cattle, induced cryptorchidism, freeze/ hot branding on live tissues.

8. Penalty for Contravention of rules: Punishments prescribed in detail under Sections 11, 12 and 13 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.