Nearly three months after recalibrating its August 11 order on the removal of stray dogs to designated shelters and allowing the animals to be returned to their original locations after being sterilised and vaccinated (unless found to be aggressive or infected with rabies), the Supreme Court last week appeared to once again harden its position on the issue. Noting that dog bites continue to be reported “with alarming frequency”, the Court ordered that stray dogs be removed “forthwith” from the premises of educational institutions, hospitals, sports complexes, bus stands and railway stations and kept in shelters after being sterilised and vaccinated. This abrupt reversal, especially on the question of releasing stray dogs back into the areas from where they were picked up, breaks from the balanced approach of the August 22 order and threatens to reignite passions on a deeply polarising issue.
A complex web of causes has led to the explosion in the stray dog population, including regular feeding and care by animal lovers, unmanaged solid waste and irresponsible pet owners who allow their dogs to interbreed with “streeties”. These must be factored in for any solution to be effective — as must the need for a considered debate that does not pit the claims of public health against a more scientific and humane approach.
