SC to pass judgement on stray dogs on Nov 7, Animal Welfare Board will be made party in the matter

The Supreme Court on Monday said it would pass an order in the stray dogs case on November 7, as per reports. 

The apex court also added that the Animal Welfare Board of India will be made a party in the matter.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta reportedly informed the bench that most of the states and UTs have filed their compliance affidavit in the matter. List for orders on November 7, the bench said.

The Supreme Court said personal presence of the chief secretaries of states and UTs would no longer be required. However, the bench said their presence would again become necessary in case there was any default in compliance of the orders passed by the court.

A special bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N V Anjaria heard the matter, which had earlier expressed displeasure over non-compliance of several states and UTs with the apex court’s directives on implementing the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023. 

During the previous hearing on October 27, the top court had expressed strong disapproval of the failure of most state governments to file compliance affidavits, despite clear orders issued on August 22. 

The apex court had noted that only West Bengal, Telangana, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) had submitted their affidavits. 

“Didn’t the officers read newspapers or social media? Haven’t they read... even if they are not served, the affidavit should have been here. All Chief Secretaries remain present here on November 3,” the Justice Nath-led Bench had remarked. 

On October 31, the Supreme Court rejected Solicitor General Tushar Mehta’s request to allow the Chief Secretaries to appear virtually, directing instead that they must be present physically before the top court. 

The apex court had earlier directed all states and UTs to file affidavits detailing the steps taken to enforce the ABC Rules, including sterilisation drives, vaccination programmes, and the establishment of animal shelters and pounds. 

It also warned that coercive measures and costs may be imposed for continued non-compliance. The matter, which has seen multiple intervention pleas from residents’ welfare associations and individuals, has been closely monitored by the Supreme Court, which emphasised that the issue concerns not only public safety but also the country’s global image. 

“Continuous incidents are happening, and the image of the country is being shown as down in the eyes of foreign nations. We are also reading news reports,” it had remarked.

(With inputs from syndicated feed)