3-judge Supreme Court Bench reserves decision on issue of stray dogs across country

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its verdict in the suo motu case concerning stray dog management in public spaces across the country, after concluding an exhaustive hearing with all stakeholders.

A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N.V. Anjaria reserved its decision after hearing the final round of submissions from various state governments, the Centre, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI).

It granted liberty to all parties to file their written submissions within one week.

During the hearing, the AWBI flagged discrepancies in data relating to stray dog sterilization centres. The AWBI informed the Justice Nath-led Bench that while there were only 76 recognized sterilization centres in the country, data submitted by various states suggested the existence of as many as 883 centres, many of which are yet to be recognized.

Expressing concern over the accuracy of sterilization data and the use of earmarked funds, the Supreme Court directed the AWBI to process all pending applications for recognition of sterilization centres within a specified timeframe.

The apex court had earlier heard detailed arguments from a wide spectrum of stakeholders, including dog lovers, victims of dog‑bite incidents and animal rights activists.

The suo motu proceedings have brought into focus the challenges surrounding the implementation of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, public safety concerns arising from dog bite incidents, and the need for a strengthened framework to address the stray dog issue nationwide in a humane manner. (IANS)

Also Read: Supreme Court stays UGC’s new equity regulations