- Animal lovers and crusaders fighting for their rights must have felt dumbfounded by the two-judge SC bench ruling on the vexed issue of stray dogs. The ruling not only grabbed the national headlines but also sharply exposed the division within when for and against lobbies voiced their opinions. Yes, we are aware that Indian sensibilities on matters of crucial importance never fail to evoke varied reactions. This is one such instance when passionate exponents of animal rights went about airing their reactions uninhibitedly. Any society aspiring to be counted as the most advanced must also encourage opposing viewpoints, allowing for the vibrancy of democracy to realize true meanings. Indeed, humane consideration and social justice always form the basis of democracy.
PC: Reddit
- Merely because animals cannot express or be inferior to human intelligence doesn’t preclude our fellow beings from being treated in the most inhumane ways. Mother Nature never differentiates between the species, but the underlying connotation of harmonious existence should not be overlooked either. Given this background, what officials must and mustn’t do after the SC order on strays deserves serious consideration. Calling the 2-judge bench order on stray dogs too harsh, SC’s 3-judge review bench recently restored status quo ante – strays are to be sterilized, vaccinated, and released back to their locality. This settles the core issue. The new order, being scientific and practical, is wholly welcome.
PC: LawChakra
- Animal Birth Control rules, recently reasserted by GOI in a parliamentary answer, blend logic and compassion. Delhi-NCR’s municipal authorities should now step up their ABC efforts for effective control of stray dog numbers. SC did well to request performance reports on the ABC implementation. For the review bench’s order not to create further conflicts between people and not to inflict cruelty on strays, two issues need to be clear. First, there’s an existing protocol on identifying aggressive strays, a definition centered on incidents of dog bites and on evaluating the contexts of such incidents. Authorities need to follow this protocol strictly. Second, civic bodies must work on three principles when it comes to identifying feeding areas for strays.
PC: Deccan Herald
- One, feeders shouldn’t be obstructed – keeping strays hungry is neither good for public safety nor in consonance with the spirit of compassion that informs ABC rules. Two, a large number of dogs can’t be herded into one feeding area. That’s again, an unscientific solution given dogs’ territoriality. Therefore, every municipal ward will need to have numerous feeding areas, each caring for a small number of stray dogs. Municipal officials already know this; they just must make sure this logical and humane practice continues. Three, at local levels, any dispute should be addressed by officials working with relevant NGOs, a practice that’s been tried out successfully in Faridabad. All stakeholders must make the ABC rules work as reaffirmed by SC.
 rules. The ruling emphasizes the need for municipal authorities to balance compassion for animals with public safety through proper implementation of feeding areas, identification of aggressive strays, and collaboration with NGOs.){kind=link}