'Don't know dog's mood VS strays raped': Arguments during Supreme Court hearing

Hearing the stray dogs matter, the Supreme Court on Wednesday said it is not possible to know in what mood a dog is as those against its order on street canine menace argued that treating animals with empathy averts attacks.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing petitioners, said during the hearing on Wednesday if one treats animals with empathy, they won't attack.

“If you invade their space, they will attack,” LiveLaw quoted Sibal as saying.

To this, Justice Vikram Nath responded saying, it is just not about biting, but also threat caused by dogs. “How can you identify? Which dog is in what mood in the morning, you don't know,” Justice Nath asked.

Suggesting a solution, Sibal said, “If there's an unruly dog, you call a centre. It will be sterilized and released back.”

The Supreme Court was hearing the stray dogs and cattle case, with a three-judge bench of Justice Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria, raising serious safety concerns over animals on streets and on highways.

On November 7 last year, the Supreme Court directed removal of stray dogs from institutional premises such as schools, hospitals, sports complexes, bus stands and railway stations, and their relocation to designated shelters after due sterilization and vaccination.

Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, representing animal welfare NGOs, told the Supreme Court that those feeding dogs, particularly women, are being harassed.

“Women ferociously attacked, beaten. Protect us. Dogs are sentient beings. Dogs have been poisoned, beaten, suffocated,” Gonsalves said.

He said raping of dogs by human beings is a common practice. “Cruelty to dogs removed as an offense! Most Indians feel safer with stray dogs. At night, guard will sleep, dog will be awake,” LiveLaw quoted Gonsalves as saying.

The Supreme Court on August 22 tweaked its own order that mandated immediate relocation of stray dogs to shelter homes and barred their release. The Supreme Court in its August 22 order said strays will be released after sterlisation and immunisation. The softening of the earlier blanket order comes amid backlash from dog lovers.