Raipur: Five dogs, which were allegedly being used illegally to perform in a circus in Chhattisgarh’s Sakti district, were rescued on Monday following the joint intervention of an NGO PETA India and the district police. The action was taken after video footage purportedly showed Indian Spitz dogs being asked to perform at Jyoti Circus, which had recently camped at the Dabhra fair in the district. According to PETA India, the dogs were being used without performing animal registration certificates, mandatory under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.A video from the circus shows dogs placed on individual plastic chairs inside the performance area while a ringmaster directs them through gestures and commands. Four dogs were reportedly forced to walk on their hind legs during this act.PETA India said that five dogs were handed over during the intervention and will now be rehabilitated and put up for adoption.Kiran Ahuja of PETA India said, “Animals used in circus performances are subjected to unnatural, stressful training, constant travel and are kept in cages or chained when not in use.” Immediate assistance was provided by Sakti SP Prafulla Thakur due to which rescue was possible.He also urged the circus to surrender any remaining dogs or other animals allegedly kept for display.Animal rights groups have long argued that circus animals face harsh living conditions, inadequate care, and coercive training methods. PETA India said that several inspections and investigations in the past have pointed to cruelty in animal circuses, including confinement, lack of proper veterinary care and repetitive behavior associated with stress.The group has advocated mechanical alternatives to live animals in circuses, noting that some circus operators have already shifted to non-animal acts.The police have not yet registered a case against the circus management in this matter.