'Take them to your house': Supreme Court slams Centre and states in Stray Dog issue, questions animal lovers who feed dogs

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has warned that the states will have to pay a hefty fine for every attack by stray dogs on children and the elderly. The Supreme Court has said that it will create an environment where state governments will be held accountable and made to pay compensation for every bite, death or injury to the public.

The state government, local bodies and those who feed street dogs will be held responsible. The Supreme Court has indicated that it will not leave the authorities and dog lovers alone and will issue a strict order. The Supreme Court also said verbally that dog lovers want the court to turn a blind eye to the problem.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N.V. Anjaria was hearing the suo motu case on Tuesday. The court noted that the state governments are not doing anything to resolve the problem and that the intensity of the problem has increased manifold due to the inaction of the authorities for a long time. The hearing will continue on January 20.

Dog lovers should feed dogs at home

When dog lovers' lawyer Menaka Guruswamy argued that the case involves deeply emotional issues, the court mocked that emotions seem to be only for the dogs. "If you love street dogs so much, instead of letting them bite and scare people, you should take them to your own home, feed them and take care of them. If you want to breed dogs, you should get a license," the court said.

Advocates for 80-year-old Pratima Devi, known as ''Dog Amma'' of Delhi, demanded that the adoption of dogs be incentivised. The court retorted by asking why not adopt orphan children on the streets? The court said that no one advocates for humans. When the discussions held in Parliament to resolve the issue were brought to the attention of the court, the court's response was that the members of Parliament are an 'elite class'.

Court's stand is correct

Senior advocate Arvind Dutt supported the previous order to remove stray dogs from public places and the premises of government institutions. He opposed the demand of dog lovers to form a new expert committee to examine the issue. The court expressed happiness that Dutt was the first person to support the order. It was observed that the dog lover's suggestion to collect a count of stray dogs was unrealistic.

Rat, Snake, Dog

The Animal Welfare Trust said that dogs play a role in rat control and the stability of the ecosystem. It was pointed out that the number of deaths caused by snakes that come to catch rats is increasing. The court was requested to consider the issue of ecological balance.