The Hindu : Karnataka News : ‘Many news reports are in ignorance of details’

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Tuesday, Jan 13, 2009
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Karnataka

Karnataka

‘Many news reports are in ignorance of details’

Special Correspondent

PANAJI: Referring to a recent judgment of the Bombay High Court, delivered on the subject of stray dogs, animal rights activists have sought to dispel an impression being created by “too many news reports (not in The Hindu) that have appeared in full ignorance of the details of the judgment, with some reports suggesting that the municipal authorities can start culling or even shooting stray dogs”.

These reports, they say, are wrong.

Norma Alvares, advocate and activist who represented the animal welfare organisations from Goa before the three-judge Bench, told The Hindu on Friday that the three judges were not unanimous. Two of the three judges, while concurring with the opinion of the presiding judge on most aspects, have recorded a different opinion on one issue. However, all three judges agreed on several important aspects concerning stray dogs and when their lives may be terminated, she said.

Ms. Alvares, who is also a member of the Animal Welfare Board of India, said that all judges unanimously agreed that stray dogs cannot be killed simply or merely because they are stray, i.e., homeless, ownerless.

The judges were also unanimous in their opinion that mass destruction of stray dogs or random killing of stray dogs was neither a permissible nor acceptable practice to deal with the problems that society may face owing to proliferation of stray dogs.

The judges also took a common view that when the authorities decided that they were required to kill a stray dog, it would have to be done by following humane methods. Shooting or poisoning of dogs, to name a few practices resorted to in the past, were all condemned in the judgment.

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