New Delhi: With a view to striking a balance between safety of human beings from dog bites and protection of animals, the Supreme Court on Wednesday empowered the authorities across the country to sterilise or vaccinate stray dogs in accordance with the procedure contemplated in the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the rules.
Issuing this direction, a bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Prafulla C. Pant made it clear that no organisation should create any kind of obstacle or impediment for such sterilisation or vaccination. We are sure that the Board and the Animal Welfare Organisation sha-ll act within the parameters of the Act and the Rules.
Earlier senior advocate and amicus curiae Mr. Dushyant A. Dave submitted that though the Act and Rules provide for sterilization of dogs so that safety of the human beings is not jeopardised, yet they are not being sterilised by the authorities, either for lack of funds or due to apathy.
He said none of the activists or animal lovers come forward whenever there is a dog bite and even when some children had been killed by stray dogs they did not bother to come to their rescue. He said due to stray dog menace many foreigners are not willing to come to India and this menace is affecting the tourism industry'
Senior advocate Shekar Naphade, for Mumbai Municipal Council said that it is the duty of the Board and the Animal Welfare Organisation to assist the local authorities and not to create impediment. The bench noted that emphasis and stress have been laid that due to stray dogs, there has been threat to life, health, movement and sometimes security of the human beings.
