Stray dog attacks on children: Supreme Court to hear plea by Kerala local body on July 12

The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear on July 12 the case concerning stray dogs in Kerala, after a local body sought urgent hearing of the matter in view of two recent stray dog attacks on children..The Court was dealing with an application by the Kannur District Panchayat for urgent listing of the case. The matter was mentioned this morning before a bench led by Justice Surya Kant..A 9-year-old girl, Janviy, was recently attacked by three stray dogs in front of her neighbour’s house, the Court was told. Before this, a differently abled child was killed after an attack by stray dogs, the applicant submitted.."Very unfortunate, but this matter has been pending," the Court orally observed. .The Court proceeded to take the matter on board. The Court also issued notice in the matter and directed that a counter affidavit be filed by July 7. The matter is scheduled to be heard on July 12. .The application filed by the Kannur Panchayat, through advocate Biju P, has sought to place on record recent video footage of stray dog attacks. "There are large numbers of dog attacks across the District especially against children," the local body submitted..Earlier this month, a 11-year-old, autistic child, Nihal, passed away after being mauled by stray dogs in Kannur..The main case deals with a challenge to a 2006 judgment of the Kerala High Court that had empowered local self-government institutions to kill stray dogs..The Supreme Court had, on June 13, refused to urgently list another such application during the vacations, after it was mentioned by advocate VK Biju.Several High Courts are currently seized of matters concerning the welfare and regulation of stray dogs.The Jammu & Kashmir High Court had, in July 2022, sought details of the stray dog population and anti-rabies efforts in the Union Territory.The Supreme Court had, last September, orally suggested that the Kerala government should work towards finding a middle ground to tackle the stray dog menace while also balancing such efforts with animal rights.Thereafter, the Kerala High Court had also directed government hospitals to provide free medical care for victims of dog bites as well as necessary free vaccines, until State machinery is established to deal with the burgeoning stray dog issue in the State..The Bombay High Court had, in April this year, directed a residential society in Mumbai to entertain complaints by members against security guards who use sticks to scare, threaten or injure animals..Many cats cared for in High Court premises; some even sit on our dais: Bombay High Court while hearing plea on stray dogs.The Supreme Court had, in November 2022, disapproved of an order of the Bombay High Court that had directed authorities to impose fines on citizens who feed stray dogs in Nagpur.