Dogs Sense Fear, May Attack Bite Victims: Supreme Court

New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India on Thursday observed that dogs are capable of sensing fear in people or identifying those who have previously suffered dog bites, and may attack such persons.

A three-judge special Bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N.V. Anjaria was hearing a batch of pleas, including petitions filed by dog lovers seeking modification of the court’s earlier orders, as well as petitions seeking strict compliance with existing directives.

Clarifying its stand, the apex court said it had not ordered the removal of all dogs from public spaces. “We have not directed the removal of every dog from the streets. The direction is to treat them as per the rules,” the Bench observed.

On the second consecutive day, the court heard submissions from several senior lawyers, including C.U. Singh, Krishnan Venugopal, Dhruv Mehta, Gopal Sankaranarayanan, Shyam Divan, Sidharth Luthra and Karuna Nundy. The hearing remained inconclusive and was adjourned for continuation on Friday.

Senior Advocate Gaurav Agarwal, assisting the court as amicus curiae, informed the Bench that four States had filed compliance affidavits on Wednesday.

During arguments, Singh pointed out that cities such as Delhi face a rodent menace and also have the unique problem of monkeys. He argued that the abrupt removal of dogs could result in a sharp increase in rodent populations, leading to serious consequences. “When the rodent population goes up, we have seen very disastrous consequences,” he said.

Justice Mehta, in a lighter remark, observed that dogs and cats are natural enemies and that cats help control rodents. “So we should promote more cats,” he said.

Singh further submitted that dogs should be regulated through scientifically proven methods such as sterilisation, vaccination and re-release into their territories. The court, however, questioned the presence of stray dogs in sensitive places, asking how many dogs should be allowed to roam in hospitals, corridors, wards and near patient beds.

Singh said the court’s intention was clear and that it had repeatedly noted the failure to implement the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules and court orders, citing lack of adequate budgetary allocation. Another senior lawyer submitted that a proper census and reliable data on stray dogs were essential for effective regulation.