State rushes to file affidavit on stray dog control steps

PANAJI

After a rap from the Supreme Court, the Goa government has rushed to complete and submit its affidavit on steps taken to implement the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules in the ongoing matter concerning stray dogs.

Senior officials from the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services held an emergency meeting on Monday, soon after the apex court’s stern remarks. The meeting focused on the immediate submission of the compliance affidavit, which had earlier been delayed despite specific directions from the Court.

“The affidavit will be submitted at the earliest, much before the next date of hearing on November 3. We have all the data, and the finalisation will be done,” a senior official told The Goan.

The Supreme Court on Monday summoned the Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories --except West Bengal and Telangana -- for failing to file affidavits on measures taken to enforce the ABC Rules.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria noted that despite its order dated August 22 directing all States and UTs to file compliance affidavits, only West Bengal, Telangana and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi had complied. The Bench directed the Chief Secretaries of defaulting States including Goa and UTs to appear before the Court on November 3 to explain the non-compliance, while also recording that none of the defaulting governments were represented during Monday’s hearing.

The suo motu case, titled “In Re: City Hounded By Strays, Kids Pay The Price,” is examining the nationwide issue of stray dog management.

Earlier, on August 11, a two-judge bench had directed Delhi authorities to relocate dogs to shelters and prohibit their release, extending similar directions to Noida, Gurugram and Ghaziabad. However, the matter was later shifted to a three-judge bench, which stayed those orders, observing that a blanket ban on the release of treated and vaccinated dogs appeared “too harsh”.

The Court subsequently expanded the scope of the case to cover the entire country, clarifying that stray dogs picked up by civic authorities must be released back into the same locality after treatment and vaccination, in accordance with the ABC Rules. The only exceptions are dogs infected with rabies, suspected to be infected, or those exhibiting aggressive behaviour.