Helped end cosmetic testing on animals in India
PFA’s campaign contributed to India becoming one of the first countries in the world to prohibit cosmetic testing on animals (2014) and to ban the import of animal-tested cosmetics.
Courts & law2014
Our work
Policies and achievements.
Thirty years · eight fronts
What changed.
Drag or swipe to turn · choose a card to open it
0fronts worked at once
0decades of it, from 1994
Secured a ban on the export of shark fins
Advocated for an end to shark-fin exports, and in 2015 the Government prohibited the export of shark fins of all species, a ban subsequently upheld in court.
Wildlife & shows2015
Protected Rajasthan's camels
Campaigned for the camel's recognition as Rajasthan's State Animal and for the 2015 State law prohibiting camel slaughter and regulating their movement and export.
Farmed animals2015
Advocated for the ban on animal dissection in schools
PFA’s legal and policy action led the Government of India to ban dissection for school students, implemented in 1998.
Testing & labs1998
Shaped India's community-dog (ABC) framework
Assisted the Government of India to develop the Animal Birth Control Rules of 2001 and 2023, and have supported States and municipalities to implement scientific sterilisation and anti-rabies programmes.
Courts & law2001
Delivered frontline veterinary care on the Char Dham route
Transformed equine welfare on the Kedarnath Yatra. Since 2024 PFA has delivered veterinary care, health screening and rescue for working equines, by operating an equine infirmary at Rudraprayag. PFA’s advocacy led the Uttarakhand High Court to direct mandatory registration, rest periods, a ban on operations between sunset and sunrise, and mandatory health check of animals before deployment.
Courts & law2024
Put animals into India's disaster response
After leading the rescue of more than 6,000 animals in the 2013 Uttarakhand floods, PFA assisted the National Disaster Management Authority to develop Animal-Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction guidelines.
Policy & systems2013
Drove reform of laboratory-animal use
PFA’s sustained campaign contributed to major reforms in India's laboratory-animal regulation and earned international recognition through the Lush Prize.
Testing & labs
Pushed States to build real animal-welfare institutions
Campaigned nationwide for functional State Animal Welfare Boards, working with every State on the long-pending directive and moving the Supreme Court to require their establishment.
Courts & law
Helped consumers make informed choices
Assisted the Government of India to introduce the mandatory vegetarian and non-vegetarian symbols (red and green dots) on packaged food products.
Policy & systems
Stopped the illegal cross-border animal-sacrifice trade at Gadhimai
In Gauri Maulekhi v. Union of India, PFA moved the Supreme Court, which in 2014 directed authorities to halt the illegal transport of animals across the India-Nepal border for mass sacrifice, establishing a lasting precedent for protecting animals trafficked across international borders. With the Government of Bihar, PFA prevented the trafficking and ritual slaughter of about 700 animals ahead of Nepal's Gadhimai festival, working with the Sashastra Seema Bal from Motihari (30 November-9 December 2024) to intercept smuggling and provide emergency veterinary care.
Courts & law2014
Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules, 2017
Obtained directions from the Hon’ble Delhi High Court and assisted the Government of India to develop the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing) Rules, 2017, creating a national framework for commercial dog breeding and sale.
Courts & law2017
Regulation of Livestock Markets Rules, 2017
Obtained directions from the Hon’ble Supreme Court and assisted the Government of India to develop the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017, introducing welfare safeguards for the handling and sale of animals at livestock markets.
Courts & law2017
Care and Maintenance of Case Property Animals Rules, 2017
After securing directions from the Hon’ble Supreme Court, PFA assisted the Government of India to develop the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Care and Maintenance of Case Property Animals) Rules, 2017, protecting animals seized in cruelty cases during the pendency of proceedings.
Courts & law2017
Pet Shop Rules, 2018
Obtained directions from the Hon’ble Delhi High Court and assisted the Government of India to develop the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) Rules, 2018, mandating registration and welfare standards for pet shops.
Courts & law2018
Environmental rules for dairy farms and gaushalas
Advocated, through proceedings before the National Green Tribunal, for stronger environmental regulation of dairy farms and gaushalas, contributing to the Central Pollution Control Board's Guidelines for Environmental Management of Dairy Farms and Gaushalas (2020, revised 2021).
Courts & law2020
Environmental rules for poultry farms
Advocated, before the National Green Tribunal, for stronger environmental regulation of poultry farms, contributing to the Central Pollution Control Board's Guidelines for Environmental Management of Poultry Farms.
Courts & law
The Package of Practice for Organised Pig Farms
Co-authored the Package of Practice for Organised Pig Farms, with the National Research Center on Pig, Guwahati. This serves as an SOP which promotes welfare of lakhs of pigs and scientific management practices to prevent cruelty.
Farmed animals
Conditions improved for 10,000 pigs across 53 farms
Documented welfare violations at 53 pig farms and secured regulatory directions improving conditions for more than 10,000 pigs in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
Farmed animals
Confinement crates taken off IndiaMART
Facilitated the removal of approximately 1,000 confinement-crate listings from IndiaMART, curbing the sale of equipment used for intensive pig confinement.
Farmed animals
A scientific pig housing unit at Rishikesh
Established, with the Government of Uttarakhand and ICAR-NRCP, a Scientific Pig Housing Model Demonstration Unit in Rishikesh, and PFA train veterinary officers in humane, welfare-oriented pig farming.
Farmed animals
31,000 poultry farmers reached across six States
Conducted more than 150 farm visits and 10 training programmes, reaching over 31,000 poultry farmers across six States with guidance on cage-free production.
Farmed animals
A cage-free poultry training facility in Tamil Nadu
Established a cage-free poultry demonstration and training facility in Tamil Nadu, and are developing a model cage-free farm and training centre with the Government of Uttar Pradesh and ICAR-CARI.
Farmed animals
Twenty-five companies moved on cage-free eggs
Engaged more than 25 Indian and international companies on cage-free egg sourcing and brought farmers, retailers and institutional buyers together to grow cage-free supply.
Farmed animals
Illegal dairies off the Yamuna floodplains
Litigated before the National Green Tribunal against illegally operated dairies polluting the Yamuna floodplains, causing illegal dairy operations and unauthorised colonies to be removed.
Courts & law
Sixteen hundred vials of spurious oxytocin seized
PFA’s intervention against the illegal use of spurious oxytocin in dairies contributed to enforcement action, including the seizure of around 1,600 vials, closure of illegal facilities and arrests.
Policy & systems
Science partnerships with ICAR and veterinary universities
Work with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (including ICAR-CARI, ICAR-NRCP and ICAR-CIFA) and veterinary universities to promote science-based, higher-welfare husbandry across poultry, pig and fish farming.
Farmed animals
The only equine infirmary at Rudraprayag
Manage the only equine infirmary at Rudraprayag in collaboration with the District Administration; the Uttarakhand High Court has recognised its role in caring for equines on the Kedarnath route. Government records placed before the Uttarakhand High Court recorded more than 21,000 equines screened and 3,482 treatments; its programme records report over 700 unfit equines kept off the track on medical grounds.
Courts & law
Happy Home Sanctuary, no tie and no cage
Operate Happy Home Sanctuary at Chharba, Dehradun on a no-tie, no-cage model, currently caring for around 300 rescued animals, including working equines.
Working animals
Phasewise ABC programmes in two States
Assisted the Governments of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh to develop phasewise ABC programs with robust infrastructure, monitoring and budgetary allocation.
Community dogs
The country’s only approved ABC training centre
Assisted the Government of Uttar Pradesh in developing the country’s only Government approved training center in Lucknow.
Teaching
Seats on State ABC monitoring committees
Serve on ABC Monitoring Committees and advisory mechanisms in several States to support effective implementation.
Community dogs
Campaigned against the illegal wildlife trade at the Sonepur (Sonpur) fair in Bihar
Secured court directions to ban the sale of all wildlife at the fair.
Wildlife & shows
Mobile zoos prohibited
A 1995 intervention against mini and mobile zoos contributed to the prohibition of mobile zoos and stronger regulation of animal exhibition and transport, and PFA assisted in closing illegal facilities and rescuing animals.
Wildlife & shows1995
Bull-fighting banned in Goa
Secured Bombay High Court directions in 1996 banning bull-fighting and other animal fights in Goa under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
Courts & law1996
Film safeguards extended to shoots abroad
Advocated for India's animal-welfare safeguards to apply to Indian films using animals in sequences shot abroad, closing a loophole under the Performing Animals (Registration) Rules, 2001.
Courts & law2001
Animals in film and television, monitored
Monitor the use of animals in films and television and take legal action against productions involving animal abuse.
Wildlife & shows
Circuses regulated and wild animals rescued
Worked with central and State authorities to regulate circuses and enforce the ban on prohibited wild animals, helping secure the rescue and rehabilitation of circus animals.
Wildlife & shows
Wild animals prohibited as performers
Campaigned for the prohibition on using wild animals such as bears, tigers, lions, monkeys and panthers as performing animals.
Wildlife & shows
Camels taken off Mumbai’s beaches
A 1994 petition removed camels from beach rides in Mumbai and returned them to their native habitat.
Courts & law1994
The whipping of racehorses regulated
Campaigned against the whipping of racehorses, leading to regulation on racecourses, with its representatives serving as welfare checkers at turf clubs.
Working animals
Bullock-cart races prohibited in Andhra Pradesh
PFA’s campaign against bullock-cart races led to their prohibition in Andhra Pradesh and elsewhere; PFA also introduced maintenance standards and daily veterinary checks for horses on Chennai beaches and halted plans for ostrich slaughter farms in Karnataka.
Farmed animals
Standing support to police on cruelty cases
Assist the police and competent authorities to respond to cruelty complaints, document violations, rescue animals in distress and pursue prosecutions, on a day to day basis, while working to improve awareness and implementation of animal-welfare laws.
Courts & law
Animal transport written into the Motor Vehicles Rules
Worked with the Ministry of Road Transport to include Rules for animal transport in the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, which prevent the illegal, cruel and overcrowded transport of animals for slaughter.
Courts & law
Six thousand mules evacuated in the 2013 floods
A long record of disaster rescue for working animals in Uttarakhand, during the 2013 floods PFA evacuated more than 6000 mules along a route rebuilt with Army assistance, and in the 2024 Kedarnath cloudburst PFA conducted a multi-day operation evacuating over hundreds of equines and establishing veterinary care camps, with the aid of the district administration.
Working animals2013
Hundreds of laboratories inspected
Served on laboratory ethics and monitoring committees; hundreds of laboratories have been inspected and thousands of animals rescued.
Testing & labs
Replacement, reduction and refinement in testing
Advocate for the replacement, reduction and refinement of animal use and promote non-animal alternatives in toxicity testing, sensitivity testing and veterinary education.
Testing & labs
Five hundred police workshops across 25 States
Conducted more than 500 workshops for police across 25+ States on animal-protection law, including training officers at the Central Detective Training Institute.
Teaching
Judges and magistrates sensitised in 12 States
Sensitised judges and magistrates at judicial academies across 12 States and are training government veterinary, animal-husbandry and urban-development officials, the latter in partnership with the All India Institute of Local Self Government.
Teaching
The Ahimsa Fellowship in law and policy
Run the Ahimsa Fellowship, an animal-welfare law and policy in partnership with NALSAR University of Law, University of Delhi to strengthen animal-law education.
Courts & law
The Revised ABC Module for the AWBI
Co-authored the Revised ABC Module for the Animal Welfare Board of India, along with handbooks for veterinary officers, law-enforcement personnel and urban local bodies.
Community dogs
Management manuals written for Uttar Pradesh
Assisted Uttar Pradesh with the Cattle Management Manual for Urban Local Bodies, the Kanha Gaushala Management Manual, the Lucknow ABC Implementation Manual and the Street Dog Management Manual for Urban Local Bodies.
Farmed animals
Helped end foie gras in India
Advocated against the force-feeding cruelty behind foie gras, and in 2014 India became one of the first countries in the world to prohibit its import, effectively removing the product from the country.
Courts & law2014
Campaigned to stop the killing of retired Army dogs and horses
Advocated for animals that had served the armed forces to be rehabilitated and cared for in their old age rather than put down.
Working animals
Opposed the Army's “meat on the hoof” practice
Campaigned against the procurement and airdropping of live animals as fresh meat for troops in remote areas, pressing for pre-packaged rations in their place.
Farmed animals
Supported the ban on importing dogs for commercial breeding
Following advocacy by animal-welfare groups, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade prohibited the import of dogs for breeding and other commercial purposes in 2016, sparing thousands of unsuited foreign-breed dogs.
Policy & systems2016
Advocated for a ban on the import of wildlife skins
Campaigned to prohibit the import of skins of wild animals, closing a channel that fuelled cruelty and the wildlife trade.
Wildlife & shows
Advocated for a ban on the import of seal leather and products
Campaigned against the commercial sealing trade, supporting India's prohibition on importing seal skin and seal-derived products.
Wildlife & shows
Advocated for mandatory registration of air guns
Campaigned for air guns to be brought under registration requirements to curb the widespread killing of birds and small animals.
Policy & systems
Assisted in amending the broadcasting code to bar cruelty to animals on air
Advocated for programme standards that prevent the telecast of content depicting cruelty to animals.
Policy & systems
Secured a shift to cruelty-free, machine-made silver leaf
Advocated against making silver foil (chandi ka varq) by hammering silver between cattle intestines, and in 2016 the FSSAI barred the use of any animal-origin material in its manufacture, requiring hygienic, machine-based production.
Policy & systems2016
Assisted Uttar Pradesh to end public subsidies for slaughterhouses
Advocated for an amendment to the State's municipal corporation law to stop government subsidies flowing to slaughterhouses in 2028.
Farmed animals
Advocated for a ban on testing household products on animals
Campaigned to prohibit the use of animals to test household and cleaning products, extending India's cruelty-free testing reforms beyond cosmetics.
Testing & labs
Assisted in amending Schedule Y to prevent duplicate animal testing
Advocated for changes under the Drugs and Cosmetics framework that avoid repeating animal tests already conducted for a drug, reducing unnecessary suffering.
Testing & labs
Advocated for reduced pesticide testing on animals
Supported the adoption of internationally accepted OECD testing approaches that cut the number of animals used in pesticide safety testing.
Testing & labs
Helped establish an Animal Law Centre at NALSAR University of Law
Supported the creation of a dedicated centre for animal law at the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research, building academic capacity in the field.
Teaching
Advocated for animal law in the national law curriculum
Following advocacy, the Bar Council of India introduced animal law into the syllabus across India's law universities.
Teaching
Assisted in updating the veterinary curriculum
Advocated for animal-welfare content to be strengthened in the syllabus of veterinary colleges through the Veterinary Council of India.
Courts & law
Advocated for the removal of dissection from zoology courses
Following advocacy, the University Grants Commission moved to phase out animal dissection in zoology and life-science teaching in favour of alternatives.
Wildlife & shows
Secured the rehabilitation of privately held captive elephants in Uttarakhand and Delhi
Advocated for and supported the removal of all private captive elephants in these regions into lawful, humane care.
Working animals
Advocated for a ban on animal sacrifice in Uttarakhand
That advocacy supported the prohibition of animal sacrifice in the State. PFA secured court directions, worked with government agencies and temple authorities and brought about a peaceful transition towards a non-violent culture.
Policy & systems
Created an equine rescue centre at Dehradun
Established a dedicated rescue and rehabilitation centre for working and abandoned equines at Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
Working animals
Brought crimes against animals into India's national crime data
Over two years PFA worked with the National Crime Records Bureau, gathering data from States and Union Territories and working with statisticians to have animal crime recorded in the National Crime Records; PFA are now helping them develop methods to track repeat offenders and identify vulnerable areas so States can be advised accordingly.
Policy & systems
Put “Be Kind to Animals” on public transport nationwide
Assisted the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to issue its Order of 25 February 2025 mandating the “Be Kind to Animals” message on all public transport vehicles across India from 1 April 2025, and have since followed up with every State and Union Territory on implementation.
Policy & systems2025
Brought animal welfare into maritime-sector CSR
Through the Sagar Samajik Sahyog initiative, PFA worked with the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways to amend its CSR guidelines to include animal welfare.
Policy & systems
Secured a national push for Animal Welfare Societies in higher education
Secured a University Grants Commission directive dated 13 June 2025 recommending the establishment of Animal Welfare Societies in all Higher Education Institutions, with the potential to reach millions of students.
Teaching2025
Secured a national environmental directive on piggery pollution
Escalated the absence of sectoral guidelines on piggeries to the National Green Tribunal, which directed the Central Pollution Control Board to conduct a national piggery pollution study and frame binding environmental guidelines.
Courts & law
Set a financial precedent against cruel confinement
Secured a national advisory from Punjab National Bank instructing its branches to withhold financing for piggery projects that use restrictive gestation and farrowing crates.
Farmed animals
Assisted Uttar Pradesh to protect community dogs statewide
Assisted the Government of Uttar Pradesh to issue Government Orders establishing designated feeding zones, protecting caregivers, banning the relocation or killing of community dogs, and mandating humane ABC infrastructure, CCTV monitoring and grievance redressal.
Community dogs
Assisted Delhi to adopt community-dog management guidelines
Assisted the Government of NCT of Delhi to issue its Order of 15 September 2025 covering feeding-zone designation, caregiver protection, pet registration, humane capture protocols and round-the-clock complaint helplines.
Community dogs2025
Assisted Jammu & Kashmir to institutionalise humane dog management
Assisted the Government of J&K to issue its Order of 5 September 2025 directing all Urban Local Bodies to operationalise feeding sites, ABC infrastructure with CCTV, caregiver protections and compliance reporting.
Community dogs2025
Secured AWBI safeguards for animals in ABC surgery
Assisted the Animal Welfare Board of India to issue a winter advisory setting temperature thresholds for ABC surgeries and hypothermia-monitoring requirements, and a further advisory keeping ABC centres at least 500 metres from landfills and waste sites.
Community dogs
Standardised compensation for seized animals
Secured case-property rates notified by District Magistrates across 11 districts of Uttarakhand, and in several other regions across states, creating enforceable compensation benchmarks for animals seized in cruelty cases.
Policy & systems
Formalised a pig-welfare partnership with Uttarakhand
Signed an MoU with the Animal Husbandry Department, Uttarakhand in March 2025 and, with ICAR-NRCP, developed a welfare-oriented piggery training curriculum that the Department officially adopted in June 2025.
Farmed animals2025
Founded India's first Pig Welfare Alliance
Established India's first Pig Welfare Alliance, uniting more than ten organisations, sanctuaries and experts to coordinate policy, rescue and rehabilitation nationwide.
Courts & law
Drove enforcement against cruel piggeries
PFA’s engagement with pollution authorities led to the closure of non-compliant crate-based facilities in Gurugram holding over 2,000 pigs, and 33 notices to unauthorised operators in Uttar Pradesh protecting over 7,000 pigs per cycle.
Farmed animals
Built the evidence base on piggery public health
With the Physicians Association for Nutrition (PAN) India, PFA produced a primary research report assessing 146 piggery units across nine States and delivering targeted recommendations to regulators.
Farmed animals
Published India's first high-welfare dairy handbook
Developed India's first comprehensive handbook on high-welfare dairy husbandry, giving operators of all scales evidence-based, measurable guidance on humane housing, nutrition and management.
Courts & law
Advocated for a national milk-quality welfare standard
Published a policy brief calling for a national Somatic Cell Count standard for domestic milk, closing the gap between export and domestic requirements and addressing antimicrobial resistance.
Farmed animals
Mapped subsidies to expose welfare blind spots
Completed a national mapping of dairy and piggery subsidies, exposing where public finance ignores welfare and waste-management safeguards and equipping its push for welfare-linked lending conditions.
Farmed animals
Embedded welfare into dairy supply chains and technology
Partnered with Madhur Dairy, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, to raise welfare standards across its supply chain and with agri-tech firm GormalOne to build animal-welfare guidance into its AI advisory chatbot for farmers.
Courts & law
Helped draft India's first cage-free standards
As a member of the Bureau of Indian Standards Committee FAD32, PFA contributed to draft cage-free egg-production standards.
Courts & law
Built India's first large-scale cage-free demonstration farm
With TANSIM and Global Food Partners, PFA launched India's first large-scale (10,000-bird) environmentally controlled cage-free demonstration and training farm in Trichy, Tamil Nadu.
Courts & law
Equipped business and trainers to go cage-free
Developed, with Ernst & Young, an Implementation Guide giving companies a practical roadmap to transition their egg supply chains, and ran India's first “Training of Trainers” for officials, veterinarians and geneticists across three States.
Courts & law
Made welfare training accessible in regional languages
Worked with the Gujarat Animal Husbandry Department to translate ICAR-CARI's cage-free modules into Gujarati and embed them in the State's official Backyard Poultry Training Programme.
Farmed animals
Advanced a Uttar Pradesh cage-free demonstration farm
As technical partners under an MoU, PFA supported the Government of Uttar Pradesh to develop its own cage-free demonstration farm for farmer learning and industry transition.
Farmed animals
Secured climate-adaptive protections for farmed fish
Secured directives in four States, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir, mandating protective seasonal aquaculture measures to reduce stress, disease and mortality.
Farmed animals
Institutionalised compassionate school uniforms in Goa
Secured an order from the Directorate of Education, Goa mandating canvas (non-leather) shoes in all government, aided and unaided schools as part of the uniform policy.
Policy & systems
Advanced humane slaughter in Gujarat
Secured an order from Gujarat's Urban Development Department directing all local bodies to enforce pre-slaughter stunning in slaughterhouses.
Farmed animals
Took illegal livestock markets to task in Uttarakhand
That advocacy led the Udham Singh Nagar District Magistrate to constitute a District Livestock Market Monitoring Committee under the Regulation of Livestock Markets Rules, 2017.
Courts & law2017
Trained enforcers and professionals at scale
Ran more than 30 capacity-building programmes in 2025, including sessions for around 800 public prosecutors at Gujarat National Law University, some 400 officers at the Gujarat Police Academy, and municipal officers from all 17 of Uttar Pradesh's corporations on ABC implementation.
Courts & law2025
Co-authored national reference handbooks with AWBI
In February 2025 the Animal Welfare Board of India published its co-authored Law Enforcement Handbook, Handbook for Veterinary Officers, and Animal Law Handbook for Urban Local Bodies, along with the Revised Street Dog Management Module.
Community dogs2025
Embedded animal law at the University of Delhi
Executed an MoU with the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi on 16 October 2025 to embed animal law through education, research and policy engagement.
Teaching2025