4 min readBengaluruJun 24, 2026 08:02 PM IST
First published on: Jun 24, 2026 at 08:02 PM IST
The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday set aside a magistrate court order to release nine dogs back to their owner, who faced allegations of assaulting and sexually abusing them. Terming the magistrate court order “preposterous”, the high court directed that the dogs continue to remain in the custody of the animal welfare organisations where they were being taken care of.
Emphasising that the law has long ceased to view animals as “mere chattels existing for human utility”, Justice M Nagaprasanna said, “The law now recognises animals also to be living beings entitled to dignity, compassion and protection from cruelty. The measure of a civilised society is often reflected not merely as to how it treats its fellow humans, but as to how it extends mercy and justice to voiceless creatures that inhabit its shared world.”
Stating that though animals cannot speak like humans, they can still feel suffering or experience pain, the court said, “Therefore every act of cruelty against an animal is not merely an injury to a sentient being but a blemish upon the collective human conscience. Protection of animal life is not an act of charity but an affirmation of constitutional morality and recognition that the arc of justice must extend even to those who cannot knock on the doors of this court by themselves.”
Dog owner opposes PETA plea
The NGO People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals had approached the court questioning the magistrate court’s April 25 order. The counsel for the NGO argued that the court has overlooked the alleged ill treatment meted out on the dogs–six Golden Retrievers and three Shih Tzus–by the owner and passed the impugned order.
However, the dog owner, Remesh K E, had opposed the plea saying the order of the magistrate court was proper and correct. It was said that he lives alone and so he has reared the nine dogs and is taking care of the dogs very well and there is no warrant to interfere with the court order as the dogs are healthy with him.
Further, he said, the allegations made against him are a figment of imagination of PETA as there is no written complaint made to PETA.
The bench noted that the police investigation in the case is underway and PETA has taken custody of the dogs and also secured relinquishment from the owner.
Saying that a perusal of the magistrate court order had shocked the consciousness of the court, the bench said, “Learned magistrate appears to have lost sight of the fact that ethical treatment to animals is imperative. What the photographs depict in the case at hand is that the owner of the dog has repeatedly beaten the dogs and has treated those dogs like chattel that he can deal with as and how he wants. In the teeth of this video and photographs it is ununderstandble as to how the concerned court could pass an order directing the return of dogs to the perpetrator of the crime.”
Pointing out that investigation into the allegation that the owner sexually abused the dogs was still on, the court said that an order directing the return of the dogs “is to say the least preposterous”.
The law now recognises animals as living beings entitled to dignity, compassion and protection from cruelty, the Karnataka High Court said. (Source: Pexels/ Representational) 
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