#BringRioHome: Pet parents launch search to find their kidnapped cat

A strange incident has shaken Hyderabad’s animal lover community over the past few days. Rio, a young couple’s eight-month-old pet cat, was abducted and abandoned by the security guard of an upscale residential community in Narsingi after a neighbour’s instruction. The event took place on November 27, after Rio scratched the neighbour’s car.

The pet parents, model Kavya Bali and actor Anvesh Naga, have been conducting search operations for several hours at a stretch everyday.Leaving no stone unturned, they have used drones, sought help from animal rescue organisations and announced a cash reward. Bali also started a #BringRioHome campaign on social media, which has been gaining a lot of momentum, with several animal activists spreading the word and joining the search operation.

“I had rescued Rio when he was just 10 days old. Since then, he has been with us and has become a part of our family. He sleeps with me on my bed, watches cricket with my dad for 30 minutes straight and has been very trusting of humans from day one. But he is an indoor-outdoor cat and likes to stroll around and come back whenever he wants to. Later on, the neighbours asked our community’s security guard to tie him up in a bag and dump him somewhere near the Musi river because he scratched their car. There is video evidence of it. We were not even informed. Had they raised their concerns with us, I could have relocated him to my parents’ place,” says Kavya.
Srilu Bhopal, animal activist and founder of the NGO All For Animals, who has been helping the couple with the search, says, “It was a total act of vindictiveness! Firstly, nobody has the right to displace another’s pet or even a stray (except the GHMC), according to the Animal Welfare Board of India. Every person has the right to keep pets in their house. None of us are above the constitution. There is a growing hatred towards animals, which my organisation and I have been dealing with on a daily basis. People say they are getting allergies while feeding stray dogs, without even touching or hugging the animal! Why don’t they have basic compassion? The only solution to this cruel mindset is awareness in schools and colleges. ”
The griefstricken pet parents have been going to great lengths in order to find Rio, “We have been placing his litter, favourite food and my T-shirt, which I tore into pieces, across that area, so that he can smell them and come back to the village. I am also taking help from animal communicators to understand where Rio is and what he is feeling. Some of them have been very accurate. One of them has been helping without even charging a penny! My friends have got drone cameras to search the periphery of the Narsingi forest area. The cops also have been helpful. They were very empathetic and let us be in that area for hours. So many strangers have messaged us on social media and come to the field to help us find him. Even the residents of Mancherial village have been so warm and helpful. I just can’t thank them all enough. When Rio is found, I have decided to go on Ayappa Deeksha,” says Kavya.
The couple has decided not to lodge an FIR for the time being. “The community has asked me for their forgiveness. They say they didn’t know we loved the cat so much. If I file an official complaint, they will always have a searing hatred towards animals instead of rethinking what they have done. I don’t want to have that animosity towards them right now, because my whole purpose and focus is on finding Rio. The torturous experience that we had, I would never wish that upon anybody. But I want societies to understand how traumatising it can be for an animal and the parents,” she says.
The Indie cat was vaccinated, spayed and domesticated.

HOW TO LOCATE YOUR LOST PET?
● Create a poster with all its details and photograph and put it up on social media, newspapers as well as on the streets where he was last seen. Don’t forget to add your contact number and if possible a reward.
● Check CCTV footage of nearby areas.
● File an FIR.
● Leave your pet’s favourite toys or food in probable areas, so that the smell can attract them back.
● Talk to animal communicators who can help you with details of the pet’s surroundings and his present feelings.
● Get in touch with animal shelters, vets and rescue groups as they can give you important leads.
● Run an announcement on local radio.
● Today, GPS trackers are available that you can attach to your pet’s paws, which will give you their live location all the time.
● Calling out your pet’s name repeatedly while searching is crucial to locating it.
RWA TENDERS APOLOGY
“They say they didn’t know we loved the cat so much. If I file an official complaint, they will always have a searing hatred towards animals instead of rethinking what they have done,” says Kavya Bali
WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY?
●PCA Act, 1960, Section 11(1)(i) and Section 11(1)(j) Up to three months prison time for any animals’ abandonment.
● Section 11(1)(h), PCA Act, 1960 Fine or up to three months jail for long hours of confinement or denial or basic needs like food to an animal.
● Section 428 and 429 of IPC All kinds of animal cruelty is eligible for punishment up to 5 years, including dislocation and abduction.
● Section 506 of IPC Threatening, abusing or harassing neighbours who feed animals is a criminal offence.
● Delhi Police act 1968, sections 73 to 79, 99 Special powers to police to take action when an animal offence has been committed.
● The Ministry of Public Grievances & Animal Welfare Board of India restricts bodies like Resident Welfare Associations from harassing people who feed or help animals. *Note: Animal activists are looking forward to the Centre’s proposal of making The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, stricter with the introduction of 61 amendments. They include 3 years prison for gruesome cruelty, allowing offenders to be arrested sans a warrant, over 50,000 fines and 5 years term for animal murder. It is expected to be passed in the Winter session of the parliament this year.
OTHER SUCH WEIRD INCIDENTS FROM THE PAST
FEBRUARY 2020
A stray dog was beaten with iron rods, thrown from a rooftop and dragged on the road while being tied to an auto rickshaw in Ludhiana
JUNE 2020
Pregnant elephant killed by a pineapple filled with crackers in Kerala
SEPTEMBER 2021
150 monkeys and 100 dogs were killed in two separate incidents in Karnataka
APRIL 2022
A monitor lizard was gang-raped and killed in Maharashtra
SEPTEMBER 2022
A dog was shot dead by a man for barking at him in Bengaluru
- Sharmistha Maji