'What about chickens, goats?' SC on stray dog lovers' plea
What's the story
The Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned the arguments of stray dog lovers in a case related to stray dog management. The question was raised during a hearing where an activist expressed concerns about the implications of putting all stray dogs in pounds. "We are talking about putting all stray dogs in the pounds. What are we going to do about the garbage...monkeys if the dogs disappear?" they asked. The court responded, "What about chickens and goats? Don't they have lives?"
Public safety
Stray dog attacks raise safety concerns
The hearing also saw the father of an eight-year-old girl, who was attacked by stray dogs in Noida last year, present his case. He alleged that the Noida authority failed to act on complaints about stray dogs and argued that Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) should be permitted to declare their areas as "no-dog zones." Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the matter, stressed they were there as "dog lovers and as lovers of the environment."
Global
'Man-dog conflict increases in areas where street dogs are removed'
Referring to global norms, Sibal stated, "Across the world, the capture, sterilize, vaccinate, release- CSVR model is followed." He went on to say that the model "has brought down dog population in cities to almost zero levels" and was successful. "Man-dog conflict increases in areas where street dogs are removed, killed. Our children and people have to be protected but solution should not increase the risk," he argued.
Prevention focus
SC emphasizes prevention in stray dog management
Advocating for the "prevention is better than cure" method, the three-judge bench emphasized that no one can read a dog's behavior when it is in a "mood to bite." "The roads have to be clear and clean of dogs. They might not bite, but they still cause accidents. Why do we need dogs on streets, schools, and institutional areas?" the bench said.
Order details
SC's modified order on stray dog removal
The Supreme Court also clarified that its modified order was limited to institutional areas, not public roads. On November 7 last year, the court had ordered the immediate removal of stray dogs from institutional areas after sterilization and vaccination. A special bench had also directed authorities to remove all cattle and other strays from highways. This decision followed a July ruling mandating the relocation of all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR away from residential areas due to increasing rabies-related deaths.