A Kerala High Court order to allow culling of stray dogs generated mixed reactions from Supreme Court on Monday. Dealing with a PIl filed by Anupam Tripathi demanding immediate ban on culling of stray dogs, the Bench of Justices Dipak Misra and PC Pant was hesitant to pass an order upfront.
Seeking responses of the Kerala Government and Animal Welfare Board (AWB) on this issue by November 16, the SC said, "Before passing any order, the danger they (dogs) pose also has to be kept in mind."
Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, who was appointed as amicus curiae to assist the court in the matter, said, "Nobody should say we should not love our dogs but if humans are being killed, it poses a grave threat."
He referred to instances in Gujarat where three newborn babies were eaten by stray dogs. "I have asked my office to prepare a compilation on deaths due to dog bites," Dave said. He was supported by a victim who filed a separate application supporting culling of stray dogs after his wife was killed by a stray dog.
The AWB counsel informed the SC Bench that a similar matter dealing with culling of dogs was listed for hearing on November 18 where AWB has challenged an order issued by the Kerala HC in year 2006 permitting culling of stray dogs.
But even as the bench is all set to examine the case on November 18, the court was clueless about the definition of Rsstray dogs'. They could not find the definition of the stray dogs either in the Animal Birth Control Rules 2001 or in the Prevention of cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.