Latest news with #AnimalBirthControl(Dog)Rules
Time of India
25-07-2025
- Time of India
Stray Menace: Can't Do Much Due To Legal Roadblocks, Cops Tell HC
Nagpur: The city police have informed the Nagpur bench of Bombay high court that while they are attempting to act on repeated judicial directives to contain the city's growing stray dog menace, existing legal provisions bar them from taking any action involving killing or culling of strays, rendering enforcement efforts largely ineffective. In an affidavit submitted on Friday, deputy commissioner of police (headquarters) Ashwini S Patil stated, "Due to the prohibition on destruction or killing of dogs, it is not possible to implement Section 44 of the Maharashtra Police Act in its true spirit." Section 44 of the Maharashtra Police Act allows police to seize or destroy stray dogs found in public places without muzzles or owner identification. However, it protects dogs wearing identifiable collars and restricts immediate action unless the animal is confirmed to be rabid. Patil reiterated that this section, though well-intended, remains toothless without changes in national and state-level regulations prohibiting destruction of dogs. The affidavit was filed in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by social activist Vijay Talewar and community representative Manoj Shakya, who have sought a coordinated and sustained crackdown on stray dog attacks in the city. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Learn More - How Watching Videos Can Boost Your Income TheDaddest Undo Represented by senior counsel Firdos Mirza, the petitioners cited the rising number of incidents, including a recent tragic case in which a minor boy in Kalamna fell from the sixth floor of a building while attempting to flee a stray dog. During the last hearing on July 14, a division bench comprising justices Anil Kilor and Manohar Nerlikar strongly rebuked both, the police and municipal authorities, for inaction. "How many times must we repeat ourselves?" the judges remarked, taking note of the fatal incident highlighted by Mirza. He warned that continued negligence could result in more avoidable deaths. To comply with court directives, the police issued circulars on November 28, 2022, deputing an assistant commissioner of police to coordinate with the Animal Birth Control (Dog) Rules, 2001 committee. The circulars also outlined awareness initiatives aimed at public cooperation in reporting and managing stray dogs. Despite these measures, the affidavit emphasised that the core obstacle remains the legal bar on killing strays, making it difficult to act beyond basic coordination or detainment. Talewar and Shakya, representing the Ramdaspeth Durga Pooja Utsav Mandal and Kachipura Kushwaha Samaj respectively, have urged the court to issue clear instructions to authorities, arguing that ambiguity in law must not be allowed to compromise public safety.
NDTV
22-07-2025
- Health
- NDTV
Stray Dog Bites 3 Women In College Campus Near Chennai
Three students were bitten by a stray dog on the campus of Tamil Nadu's Government Meenakshi College for Women, approximately 465 km from Chennai, on Monday, prompting calls for urgent action to prevent further attacks. Following the incident, the Madurai Municipal Corporation caught five stray dogs from the campus after the college authorities lodged a formal complaint. However, they have requested the civic officials to remove the rest of the stray dogs around the campus to ensure student safety. "Dogs often chase our students. Though strays were removed earlier, they were dropped back after undergoing Animal Birth Control procedures and rabies vaccination," Ms Chandra, the Principal-in-Charge of the college, said. The injured students were immediately taken to the Government Rajaji Medical College Hospital for treatment, and are currently in stable condition. The incident has reignited the debate around stray dogs and public safety, especially in light of a recent Supreme Court observation questioning why dog lovers who feed strays cannot do so within the premises of their homes. Many residents as well as the students' parents argued that human safety must be prioritised. "We cannot turn a blind eye to repeated dog bite incidents. No one should lose their life to preventable animal attacks," said Saira Anwar, a parent. Meanwhile, animal rights activists argue that regularly feeding stray dogs helps them remain calm and non-aggressive. "Hungry dogs are more likely to become wild in search of food," Antony Rubin, an activist, said. Activists also insist that humans must co-exist with animals, and stress the need for better implementation of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) and vaccination programmes to control stray dog population. According to a municipal survey conducted in May this year, there are around 27,000 to 38,000 stray dogs in Madurai. In 2024, at least 14,000 dog bite cases were reported in 100 wards of the city, with an average of 1,000 to 1,200 cases per month, data shared by Madurai municipal corporation stated. The ABC Rules, which have replaced the 2001 Animal Birth Control (Dog) Rules, use the expression "community animals" instead of "stray dogs," acknowledging that these dogs are not homeless but territorial beings who belong to their local environments.
Indian Express
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Feeding stray dogs: how law balances questions of compassion & public order
The Supreme Court observed this week that citizens who wished to feed stray dogs should consider doing so inside their own homes. The Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta were hearing an appeal filed by a Noida resident who had been allegedly harassed for feeding stray dogs in the common areas of her housing society. The strongly polarising issue of feeding community dogs has frequently led to litigation over the years. Courts have weighed in on questions of constitutional protections, local governance, and claims over shared civic spaces. The president of the Residents' Welfare Association of the petitioner's society had allegedly broken some pots in which she had kept water for stray animals, harassed her, and killed 10 sterilised stray dogs. Local authorities had taken no action on her complaints, and had instead asked her to not place the pots again. The woman had then approached Allahabad High Court, which had dismissed her petition in the interest of the 'common man'. The court had said that the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023 (ABC Rules) did warrant the protection of street dogs, but 'the authorities will have to bear in mind the concern of common man, such that their movement on streets are not hampered by attacks by these street dogs'. The ABC Rules, 2023, notified under The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, seek to control stray dog populations through sterilisation, and to curb the spread of rabies by vaccinating them. The Rules lay down protocols to ensure that the feeding of dogs respects both animal welfare and public safety. The ABC Rules, which replaced the Animal Birth Control (Dog) Rules, 2001, use the expression 'community animals' instead of 'stray dogs' — recognising that these dogs are not ownerless intruders but territorial beings that inhabit and belong to their local environments. The Supreme Court has interpreted the constitutionally guaranteed right to life and liberty as extending to animals as well. In its verdict in the 2014 Jallikattu case, the top court held that animal life falls within the meaning of Article 21 of the Constitution (Animal Welfare Board of India vs A. Nagaraja). Also, Article 51A(g) places a fundamental duty on citizens 'to have compassion for living creatures'. All this means that the presence of dogs in residential areas cannot automatically be considered unlawful. Nor can those who feed them be considered offenders unless their actions violate specific behavioural and spatial guidelines set by the law. Rule 20 of the ABC Rules, 2023 ('Feeding of Community Animals') states that 'it shall be responsibility of the Resident Welfare Association or Apartment Owner Association or Local Body's representative… to make necessary arrangement for feeding of community animals' if someone living in that area 'feeds or provides care to street animals as a compassionate gesture'. The Rule states that the feeding locations must be away from high-footfall areas like staircases, building entrances, and children's play areas. The designated spaces must be kept clean and litter-free, and community dogs should be fed at an appointed time. The Rule also lays down a dispute resolution mechanism involving the chief veterinary officer, representatives of the police, the district Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, organisations conducting animal birth control, and the RWA. The big picture is that dogs have a right to be fed, but this must be done in ways that minimise disruption to shared social spaces. The Rules try to strike a balance between compassion and public order. In March 2023, the Bombay High Court in Sharmila Sankar & Ors v. Union of India ruled in favour of residents who had faced opposition from their housing societies for feeding dogs. The court said that RWAs and societies cannot restrict the feeding of community animals or threaten or penalise individuals who do so. The court affirmed that the ABC Rules have 'the force of law'.
