'Do dogs need counselling? How to judge a dog's mood?'; Supreme Court raps dog lovers over plea

NEW DELHI: “Should street dogs be counselled not to run and bite? How will the public know whether the street dog is in the mood to attack?” The Supreme Court laced its spontaneous decision on the street dog issue with ridicule and anger.

The court, which expressed deep concern, also criticised the actions of local institutions.

The bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Metha and N.V. Anjariya, issued the order on the plea of ​​dog lovers. The former order demanded that street dogs be removed from public places and government premises. The court responded in severe language when dog lovers and animal rights organisations came out against the decision.

"Dogs cannot be allowed to roam freely in public places. People are losing their lives in stray dog attacks, and these include children and the elderly." The court asked whether the authorities failed to implement the ABC rules.

Kapil Sibal, who appeared for the dog lovers, said the decision to cull all street dogs, if just one among them was found to have rabies, was unjust. "The dogs should be sterilised and vaccinated before being released. This way, the number can be effectively reduced in Uttar Pradesh. If the one with rabies and others are kept in the same shelter, the situation will only worsen."

The mother of a victim who died of a dog attack in Pathanamthitta supported the decision to cull dogs on the street. At the same time, animal rights activist Vandana Jain said that society should show mercy to street dogs. Awareness is needed. Foreign-bred dogs can be subject to higher luxury taxes.