The Supreme Court on Wednesday heard a clutch of petitions related to the growing menace of stray dogs, stating that it would consider the concerns of both victims of dog attacks and animal lovers. The matter was heard by a Bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria.
Appearing for animal welfare groups, senior advocate Kapil Sibal argued that the issue should not be viewed as an adversarial dispute. “We are not here as rivals. We are here as people who love animals,” Sibal submitted, stressing that public safety and animal welfare must go hand in hand.
During the hearing, Sibal made a striking analogy, saying, “If one tiger attacks a man, it does not mean all tigers have to be caged.” He argued that isolated incidents of dog attacks should not lead to blanket measures against all stray dogs. Instead, he emphasised the need to strictly implement the globally accepted CSVR model, Capture, Sterilise, Vaccinate and Release, to control the stray dog population in a scientific manner.
Justice Sandeep Mehta raised concerns about attacks on humans and referred to a recent dog attack incident in Delhi’s Nehru Park. In response, Sibal said that lack of empathy and violation of animals’ space often triggered aggression, adding that problematic dogs could be captured, sterilised and released after treatment.
Sibal also pointed out that placing all stray dogs in shelters was neither physically nor economically feasible and could pose further health risks. He warned that indiscriminate removal or killing of dogs often worsened man-dog conflict, as new dogs quickly occupied vacant territories.
Citing data from states like Uttarakhand and Goa, Sibal said scientific implementation of animal birth control rules had led to a significant reduction in dog-bite incidents. He urged authorities to follow existing laws and expert-driven solutions to ensure both human safety and animal welfare.
