'Can't read a dog's mind when it is in a mood to bite': Supreme Court on stray menace

Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that no one can read the animal’s behaviour when he is in a “mood to bite” during the hearing of the stray dogs case, adding that "prevention is better than cure".

The three-judge bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria emphasised that prevention is key, as identifying dangerous dogs by behaviour alone is impossible, News18 reported.

The bench also highlighted the challenge in managing stray dog populations on roads and streets.

Questioning why stray dogs should be present inside schools, hospitals or courts, the top court asked what objection could exist to removing them from such sensitive premises. The court clarified that its modified order was restricted to institutional areas and not public roads.

On November 7 last year, taking note of the "alarming rise" in dog bite incidents within institutional areas like educational institutions, hospitals, and railway stations, the top court directed the forthwith relocation of stray canines to designated shelters after due sterilisation and vaccination in Delhi-NCR.

The bench also instructed the authorities to release the stray dogs back to the place where they were picked up. The three-judge special bench had directed the authorities to ensure the removal of all cattle and other stray animals from state highways, national highways, and expressways.

This judgment came after the top court, in July last year, had ruled that all stray dogs in Delhi and adjoining regions must be shifted away from residential localities to shelters, given the rising cases of dog bites leading to rabies deaths, leading to widespread protests by animal lovers and activists.