Goa, June 26 -- A spate of attacks on animals using airguns has triggered a wave of outrage from animal welfare activists, who are calling for tighter regulation and enforcement of the sale and use of these weapons. In the latest incident in Navelim, a pet dog was shot four times. Despite the existence of animal cruelty laws, such cases rarely progress beyond the initial complaint, leaving known offenders free - and often emboldened.

"If you ask me, nobody should be allowed to buy an airgun," says Fidoll Pereira, an animal rescuer and activist. "People living in remote forested areas with plantations may require guns to scare off bison and other wildlife. But why does anyone in an urban area need one? To shoot birds or dogs for sport? Ou...