 The Animal Welfare Board of India is the first of its kind Animal welfare organization, established by any Government in the world. This organization was set up in 1962 following the Section 4 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Acts 1960 (No.59 of 1960). Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale pioneered the setting up of the Animal Welfare Board of India with its headquarters at Chennai. She supervised the activities of the Board for nearly twenty years till her death in 1986. The Board consists of 28 and aims at preventing the infliction of unnecessary pain and suffering to animals. Various officials related to the Government of India are the members of the board. The functions of the board are as follows -
To keep the law in force in India for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals under regular inspection and to advise the government on the alterations to be undertaken in any such law from time to time.
To recommend the Central Government on the creation of rules under the Act to prevent unnecessary pain or suffering to animals generally, and more particularly when they are being transported from one place to another, when they are used as performing animals or when they are kept in captivity or detention.
To advise on improvements in the design of vehicles to the Government of India; so as to lessen the burden on draught animals.
To encourage the Board for providing money for construction of sheds, water troughs and the like and by providing for veterinary assistance to animals.
To encourage by the allowance of financial assistance or otherwise, the arrangement or establishment of Pinjara poles, rescue homes, animals shelters, sanctuaries and the like, where animals and birds may find a shelter when they become old and useless or when they need protection.
The board carries out many more functions such as to give financial assistance and other assistance to Animal Welfare Organisations functioning in any local area, to impart education in relation to the humane treatment of animals and so on. The latest policy of `The Animal Welfare Board of India` says that in order to ensure Cow Protection and to impose a total ban on the slaughter of cows and cow progeny, Government is taking suitable measures under the provisions of the prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. The Animal Welfare Board of India offers special attention to animals that have been misused, abused, or likely to be slaughtered and have to be transported to safe rescue centers and shelters and maintained as in the case of circuses, animals rescued from laboratories requiring rehabilitation, trains, trucks and other automobiles and illegally smuggled.
The Ministry or the Govt. at the initiation of the ministry provides the Animal Welfare Board of India with additional budget for the actions. The Animal Welfare Board of India ensures participation of its representatives in the various committees and activities of the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Husbandry, Planning Commission, Ministry of Commerce and other officials for effectively co-ordination in suggesting and advising methodology for execution of the above objectives, more particularly constitutional and legal mandates for protecting the animals from killing and slaughtering the animals. Its main motive is in respect of the prevention of dog killing and cattle killing and to provide and prohibit cruelties to all other animals also. It would also seek proper funding budget allotments and aid from all the Ministries in addition to the original Ministry of Animal Welfare, wherein it would like to evolve and participate in the Ministry`s decisions of funding in all respects, either direct or indirect.
The Animal Welfare Board of India specially has a check on factory farms and those animal husbandry institutions and commercial ventures that are concerned in the raising, housing and selling of animals and birds for the purpose of meat. Any violations of the BSI and Prevention of Food Adulteration Act shall result in action taken by the Animal Welfare Board of India. The strategical location of Animal Welfare Board of India is at Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai.
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