A case was filed by a social activist in 2006 for controlling the growing stray menace in few areas in Nagpur. The case mentioned about a former corporator who had proactively tried to help the people by catching the dogs and translocating them. But the animal activists and animal lovers objected and the drive stopped. The Nagpur Bench of Mumbai High Court heard this case and came out with an order on 20th October 2022. The order has come as a complete shock to the caregiver community of India and is now giving them sleepless nights.
Given below are some of the main points:
1 City authorities, including the police, to register cases against dog feeders and animal.activists who obstruct civic officials from acting against menacing stray dogs.
2 Feeding of stray dogs shall not be done at any place except animal activists own homes.
3 Feeding and care of dogs can be done only after formally adopting and registering these dogs with the Nagpur Municipal Corporation
4 Penalties shall be imposed for feeding stray dogs out of the houses of feeders
5 There shall be no restriction on the Nagpur Municipal Corporation officials to take necessary action against menacing canines either by any rule or judgment. "The authorities are free to capture strays and remove them from the spot on the complaints by the citizens.
6 They will also initiate an awareness programme by circulating the contact details of the 'dog control cell
For further details kindly go on the link below:
The Municipal Corporations who have been the main culprits behind the failure of the ABC program and hence the uncontrolled dog population have neither been reprimanded nor questioned. Rather the entire blame for failure of the uncontrolled population has been put on the feeder. As if it is the feeder who are responsible for dogs population and dog biting.
The order clearly says no street dogs to be fed on road and has given a free hand to the Municipal corporation to do what they like with the dogs. Wonder how will the dogs get food on the road if the feeders are stopped from feeding them?
The ABC program.pan India is being run by the municipal corporations in the most unsytematic, random and complaint centric manner. Even today when legally dogs are not to be relocated, the corporations are picking them and relocating them so one can well imagine what will the corporations do with the dogs once such an order gets implemented.
It is due to the contribution of feeders that the dogs get sterilized and vaccinated. For the success of the ABC program.it is very important to involve feeders and get their participation. Also the feeders protect the dogs from being harassed and abused both by dog haters and the municipality.
Recently an unfortunate case of a child being mauled by a dog was reported from Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The municipal.corporation of Noida took away all the dogs from the housing complex. They didn't even leave a pregnant dog. To watch how they caught her in the most brutal fashion by strangulating her throat and blood coming out of her mouth kindly go on the link below:
By such an order the corporations who are already quite insensitive and cruel towards stray dogs shall become worse. And the caregivers who have always fought for the voiceless and protected them from cruelties of masses and the corporation shall be punished and hence be discouraged to do anything for them. Today a caregiver feeds on an average 5 to 10 dogs. How is it possible to keep all as pets at home and feed all at home? Some caregivers feed more than100 dogs. So according to.the order they better keep all the dogs at home and get them registered or then quit their feeding and leave them to die.
This is the first major decision by any High Court after the Supreme Court clarified on October 12 2022 that there would be no bar on High courts from hearing the issue of stray dogs. Has the Supreme Court opened a pandora's box?
Today it is Mumbai High Court tomorrow...........
Shouldn't there be one law for all in India? Why should a stray dog of Punjab be treated differently from a stray in Tamil Nadu and why should a caregiver in Gujarat be treated differently to a caregiver in Bengal?