The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea seeking the withdrawal of directives to remove dogs from the premises of public institutions. The Supreme Court also dismissed petitions filed by dog lovers seeking modifications to the orders regarding the removal of dogs from public places such as schools, colleges, hospitals, railway stations, and bus stands. "We are dismissing all applications challenging the Animal Welfare Board's SOPs," the Supreme Court said.
Supreme Court's earlier order on stray dogs will remain in force
This means that the Supreme Court's order to remove dogs from public places—such as schools, colleges, hospitals, railway stations, and bus stands—will remain in force. "Implementation of Animal Birth Control framework largely remains sporadic, underfunded and uneven across jurisdictions," the Supreme Court said.
The Supreme Court has refused to modify its November 25 order directing the removal of all stray dogs from institutional areas such as schools, hospitals, and railway stations. The directive prohibiting the release of the stray dogs back into these areas will also remain in force.
The Supreme Court said the states should have complied with the Animal Birth Control Rules, and then such a situation would not have arisen. The Supreme Court directed the states and Union Territories (UTs) to ensure coordinated efforts to augment infrastructure to deal with the stray dog population.
Dog bite cases can't be ignored, says SC
The Supreme Court said the incidents of stray dog bites are occurring continuously. "In Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, 1,084 people were bitten by dogs in just one month. Young children sustained very severe injuries. In Tamil Nadu, approximately 2,00,000 cases of dog bites were recorded over the last four months," it said.
German tourist was bitten by a dog in Surat
The recurrence of dog bite incidents at the country's busiest airport (IGI) itself reflects a grave failure of competence. The Supreme Court noted that a German tourist was bitten by a dog in Surat. Such incidents severely erode public trust in the urban administration. "Dogs are biting children and the elderly. We cannot turn a blind eye to such a situation," the SC observed.
Infected dogs whose condition is untreatable should be euthanised: SC
The Supreme Court stated that in cities or areas where the problem of stray dogs has become particularly severe, it should be brought under control with the assistance of experts. "Infected dogs whose condition is untreatable and who pose a threat to society should be euthanised," the SC said. The hearing of the case is being concluded. However, the SC will review the compliance reports from every state on November 17.
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