Telangana High Court Becomes Latest To Stay Centre's Circular Banning Dangerous Dog Breeds (Image: Pixabay)
As petitions are pending before several courts over the Centre’s circular banning the rearing of ferocious and dangerous dog breeds, High Courts of different states have taken a restraint stance, asking the Ministry to consider objection to its circular.
The latest addition has been Telangana High Court’s interim stay on the Circular. Ministry of Fisheries and Animal Husbandry had, On March 12, issued a Circular banning the rearing of around 23 breeds of dogs finding them “dangerous” as pets. The Circular had also asked for the rapid sterilization of any ‘dangerous dog’ that was already being kept as a pet.
The government had passed the Circular after the Delhi High Court ordered it to ban certain dog breeds, noting the recent spike in human deaths due to dog bites.
According to the State of Pet Homelessness Index 2021 by Mars Petcare, a global pet health and nutrition company, India is home to around 62 million stray dogs. The alarming rise in the deaths due to stray dog bites is shockingly high in India. Proving the journalism adage that ‘If a dog bites a man, it is not news; but if a man bites a dog, it is,’ literally true, the menace of stray dogs has become unbearable for many cities.
However, Telangana has become the fourth state to stay in the Centre’s circular. Madras High Court, on June 5, asked the ministry not to take a final decision, and to entertain the objections against the government’s decision. On June 11, the Kerala High Court also asked the ministry to consider objections submitted by stakeholders while considering a writ petition challenging the circular. Delhi High Court had on April quashed the Circular, asking the ministry to hear all sides.
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While hearing the petition filed in Telangana High Court, Justice Vijaysen Reddy said to the petitioner, “Nowadays, owing a dog has become a social symbol. People keep expensive dogs to show their social stature. Don’t you think?”
The Court also noted that the rise in dog bite cases throughout the Country could not be linked to dogs of the breed as they resulted from stray dogs not being vaccinated promptly.
Read also: Central Government Imposes Ban On 23 “Ferocious” Dog Breeds: Report
However, the increasing incidents of stray dog bites and even death due to their bites have created concerns among the general public. Many are calling for a solid solution to the menace.
