Rising dog bite cases and the feeding of strays spark a nationwide debate, now under the Supreme Court’s gaze.
AN OBSERVATION MADE by a division bench of the Supreme Court last month, that those who feed stray dogs should take them home and feed them, has evoked sharp responses from dog lovers on the one side and those who detest them on the other.
Although it was merely a stray remark by the judges and is not part of any judgment, it has brought into focus the very serious issue of stray dogs. Their population, as well as the number of dog bite cases, appears to be forever rising.
As per the official information provided by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the total number of dog bite cases in 2024 stood at 37,17,336, while the total “suspected human rabies deaths” was 54. These include bite cases by pet dogs, but such instances are minuscule.
There have been several instances in which packs of dogs have attacked and mauled people, particularly children. Recently, a video had surfaced in which a pet dog brutally attacked a child.
Responding to a plea, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed the government to compensate the victims of stray dog bite cases at the rate of ₹10,000 per bite. Similarly, the owners of pet dogs were directed to compensate the victims at the same rate. However, it’s a tedious process and very few people have made the claim so far.
Stray Dogs
It is common to come across packs of stray dogs in any town or village, and there is no doubt that many people opt to give up morning walks to avoid attacks. It is also common to see dogs chasing bicycle and two-wheeler riders, which can cause serious accidents.
And it is not uncommon to see dog lovers distributing eatables to stray dogs. Some do it every day, and packs of dogs wait for them to arrive.
The Society for Prevention of Crimes against Animals, which was formed by former union minister Maneka Gandhi, has been actively taking up cases of crime against animals.
There are also people who blame her and the organisation for the sharp increase in the number of stray dogs as well as dog bite cases.
The Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, which use the expression “community animals” instead of “stray dogs,” provide for feeding of these animals. “It shall be the responsibility of the Resident Welfare Association or Apartment Owners Association or Local Body’s representative… to make necessary arrangements for feeding of community animals as a compassionate gesture.”
The Rules specify that the feeding locations must be away from high-footfall areas like staircases, building entrances and children’s play areas, and community dogs should be fed at an appointed time. The Rules recognise that these dogs are not ownerless intruders but territorial beings that inhabit and belong to their local environments.
Stray dogs attack child in Amroha
Even the Supreme Court, in the Jallikattu case, had interpreted the constitutionally guaranteed right to life and liberty as extending to animals as well. The Constitution also places a fundamental duty on citizens “to have compassion for living creatures.”
It implies that the presence of dogs in residential areas cannot be considered unlawful. Similarly, those who feed them can’t be called offenders. Dogs, like other creatures, turn violent or attack when hungry.
The ABC Rules, under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, focus on the neutering and anti-rabies vaccination of stray dogs.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying S.P. Singh Baghel said that municipalities are responsible for controlling the stray dog population. The Rules also provide that such animals are not to be displaced from the areas where they have grown up.
These municipalities keep making claims that they have awarded contracts to various organisations to neuter the stray dogs so that they are not able to breed. However, such efforts have made little impact.
The government must study and implement best practices from around the world to check the population of stray animals in an ethical manner. Several countries have successfully done this and there is no reason why it can’t be done in India. 
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Vipin Pubby
The author, a freelance journalist, is a former Resident Editor of Indian Express, Chandigarh, and reported on the political developments in Jammu and Kashmir, North-Eastern India, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab in his long, illustrious career.
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