HC issues 11 directions to tackle strays

In a judgment of far-reaching consequences, the high court on Friday issued 11 directions for tackling the stray dog menace in the city.

The division bench by Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen and Justice BV Nagarathna disposed off a batch of petitions with clear cut directions to tackle the menace.

Among the batch of petitions included a petition filed by Animal Welfare Trust, which sought a direction to provide suitable accomodation to street dogs to prevent their killing. While a petition was also filed by a group of citizens seeking to prevent the killing of dogs and to safeguard dogs as per the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2001.

The bench said the nuisance caused by stray dogs would be in due course of time be automatically eradicated if the animal welfare organisations strictly implement the ABC Rules, 2001, and perform their duties by vaccinating and sterilising the strays.

The bench also observed that it was the duty of the BBMP to ensure that there is no accumulation of garbage on the streets. "This would ameliorate the tendency of street dogs having conflicts among themselves while in search for food and curb their tendency for unruly behaviour".