The Kannur district panchayat has filed an intervening application in court, seeking permission to humanely euthanize dogs that are suspected to be rabid or extremely dangerous.
The Supreme Court sought a response from the Animal Welfare Board on applications, including the one by KSCPCR.
The Supreme Court of India has issued a notice on a fresh intervention application filed by the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR), seeking relief for children from stray dogs in the state. A bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and KV Viswanathan asked nodal counsel Manisha Karia to file a compilation of all applications along with the relief sought within two weeks.
During the hearing, the counsel for the Kerala Panchayat expressed concern over the increasing number of stray dog attacks on humans, particularly school children. In response, the counsel for the respondents argued that Kerala is not adhering to animal birth control measures and emphasized the need for a well-structured and long-lasting solution to the issue.
The Supreme Court sought a response from the Animal Welfare Board on applications, including the one by KSCPCR. The counsel appearing for Anjali Gopalan, a member of the Animal Welfare Board, told the bench that the state is killing dogs by entering people’s homes, which she said cannot be allowed.
Appearing on behalf of the Animal Welfare Board of India, Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra informed the court that the board has already drafted rules that could serve as a reference for the case. The hearing has been scheduled to continue on August 16th.
The plea by KSCPCR stated that it is essential for the safety of children and public welfare that all stray dogs be caught and kept in a safe place. According to the petition, there has been a significant increase in stray dog attacks in recent years, with 11,776 cases reported in 2022 alone.
The court was hearing an intervening application filed by the Kannur district panchayat, which has sought permission to euthanize suspected rabid dogs or extremely dangerous dogs in a humane manner. In their plea, they cited the case of an 11-year-old autistic child who was mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs in Kannur on June 11.
The Supreme Court is already seized of a petition filed by the Animal Welfare Board of India, challenging a 2006 judgment of the Kerala High Court which empowered local self-government institutions to kill stray dogs. The petition was filed in response to the Kerala government’s decision to cull stray dogs after a series of dog attacks on people in 2015.
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