The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed certain observations by the Bombay High Court including those that directed citizens feeding stray dogs to "formally adopt" them. The apex court also said no coercive steps should be taken against those feeding stray dogs.
The court order comes after the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court on October 21 ordered a ban on citizens feeding stray dogs. The court had ordered the municipal authorities to penalise citizens violating the order with a fine of Rs 200.
The bench had also said that those who were interested in feeding and protecting stray dogs should adopt them and take them home.
"If these so-called friends of stray dogs are really interested in protection and welfare of the stray dogs, they must adopt the stray dogs, take home the stray dogs or at least put them up in some good dog shelter homes and bear all the expenses for their registration with Municipal Authorities and towards their maintenance, health and vaccination," the High Court order had said.
The Supreme Court bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and JK Maheshwari found the blanket ban unreasonable.
In an interim order, Supreme Court stays certain observations of Bombay HC incl those who're interested in feeding stray dogs to "formally adopt" them. Court directs Nagpur municipal corporation to ensure & take steps for general public to feed stray dogs at demarcated locations.
— ANI (@ANI) November 16, 2022
Accepting that the high court order needed modification, the apex court directed the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and the Animal Welfare Board to come up with a solution by November 16.
On November 11, without staying the high court order, the Supreme Court asked the NMC not to take coercive action in the form of penalties against those feeding stray dogs.
On November 16, the apex court stayed the stayed the High Court's order that people who feed street dogs must adopt them.
Apart from this, the Supreme Court also directed the NMC to demarcate appropriate locations for the general public to feed stray dogs.
Till the civic body identifies the locations, the municipal authorities will have to deal with any nuisance caused by the street dogs as per the law.
The court also requested the general public to ensure that no public nuisance is caused by feeding of stray dogs.
