SC Stays Bombay HC Verdict On Killing Stray Dogs

SC Stays Bombay HC Verdict On Killing Stray Dogs 23 Jan 2009, 1816 hrs IST, PTI Text: NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday stayed a Bombay High Court verdict allowing municipal authorities in Maharashtra to kill stray dogs causing "nuisance". The majority verdict of the High Court, which was suspended till January 29, was stayed by a Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan after two senior advocates Fali S Nariman and T R Andhyarujina asked "how an order could be passed that stray dogs be exterminated". "A dog cannot be exterminated because it barks," Nariman said asserting that there are broad apex court guidelines for resorting to killing stray canines. They said if a dog is rabid or mortally wounded or incurably ill it has to be taken and euthanised by the authorities by following the rules and guidelines. When the Bench, also comprising Justice P Sathasivam, said a stray dog can bite so many people, Nariman said important thing is to sterlize such dogs. The Animal Welfare Board of India, a nodal agency of the government to prevent cruelty against animals, challenged the December 20 verdict of the High Court and issued notice to a Goa-based organisation People for Elimination of Stray Troubles which had filed a petition for killing stray dogs. The High Court, however, had not defined what is nuisance but had made it clear that there can be no "mass killing" of dogs. The three-member Bench had suspended its verdict till January 29 for allowing the aggrieved parties to approach the apex court.

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