The Supreme Court issued a stern warning to state governments on Tuesday. The court said it would impose heavy fines for every dog bite and every death caused by stray animals. A bench of justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria made these observations while hearing a case concerning India's stray dog population.
Feeders Face Liability
The court held dog feeders directly responsible for stray dogs. "For every dog bite, for every death, we will likely fix heavy compensation on states for not making requisite arrangements," the Supreme Court stated. The bench added, "And also liability to dog feeders. You take them to your house, keep them. Why should they be allowed to roam around, biting, chasing? The effect of a dog bite is lifelong."
'Are You for Real?'
Justice Sandeep Mehta posed a sharp question during the hearing. He asked a counsel, "Are you for real?" This came after arguments that children should be removed from streets before dogs. Justice Mehta pointed to statistics about orphan children living on streets. He noted these were presented by a young counsel.
"Perhaps some lawyers could argue for the adoption of those children," Justice Mehta remarked. "Since the year 2011, since I was elevated, these are the longest arguments I have heard. Till now no one has argued so long for human beings."
Organizational Responsibility
The court raised a critical question about organizational accountability. "Who should be made responsible when a 9-year-old child is killed by dogs which are fed by a particular organization?" the bench asked. "Should the organization not be made liable for damages?"
Animal Birth Control Rules Debate
Advocate Menaka Guruswamy argued strongly for the Animal Birth Control rules. "The ABC rules are not just about birth control," she emphasized. Guruswamy referred to Article 51 of the Constitution, which calls for compassion toward all living creatures.
"That is the society we want to be," Guruswamy continued. "Why do we oppose capital punishment? Because we believe that as a society it dehumanizes us. When we talk about removing species, we dehumanize ourselves. We cannot be in short supply of compassion."
She presented a practical argument against killing stray dogs. "Killing won't diminish the numbers," Guruswamy asserted. "Sterilization will." The advocate criticized regulatory failures. "If regulators did their job better, we would not be living in this catastrophe. Money should go to organizations working on this. Program centers underutilize the funds set up for them."
Case Background
This matter gained national attention last year. A bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan initially directed Delhi municipal authorities to round up and shelter stray dogs. That order sparked mass protests from animal rights groups across the country.
The current three-judge bench modified that earlier order. They mandated vaccination and release of sterilized dogs instead of permanent sheltering. During a December 7 hearing, the Supreme Court highlighted India's increasing dog bite incidents. The court criticized municipal authorities and local bodies for failing to implement ABC rules effectively.
In a January 8 hearing, the court made an interesting observation about canine behavior. "A dog can always smell people who are afraid of them," the bench noted. "It will attack when it senses that fear."
The Supreme Court listed the matter for further hearing at 2 pm on January 20. The case continues to draw significant attention as it balances animal welfare concerns with public safety issues.
