'Should We Shut Our Eyes? Who Is Responsible When Children Die?' Supreme Court Questions States on Stray Dogs

The Supreme Court on Tuesday made sharp oral observations while hearing a case related to stray dog attacks, questioning who should be held responsible when children and elderly citizens are killed or injured

by stray dogs on the streets.Referring to the death of a nine-year-old child, the bench asked, “Who should be made responsible when a nine-year-old child is killed by stray dogs which are being fed by dog lovers’ organisations?” It further questioned whether the court should “shut its eyes and let things happen”.The court remarked that “emotions seem to be there only for the dogs”, while incidents involving attacks on humans often fail to evoke the same urgency. The bench indicated it was considering laying down a strict framework for accountability.“We are going to say that heavy compensation will have to be paid by the state for cases of dog bite deaths and injuries,” the court said, adding that liability and accountability would also be fixed on dog lovers and organisations representing them.The bench further observed that if people wish to feed or care for dogs, they should do so within their own premises. “Or else keep them in your own compound, your own house, feed them in your own house. Why should they be allowed to roam around and create nuisance?” the court said.The Supreme Court also warned that it would raise “serious questions” when hearing both the Centre and state governments on the issue. It recalled that during the previous hearing, it had refused to watch videos purportedly showing cruelty towards dogs, noting that there are also videos of dogs attacking children and the elderly.“We don’t want a competition here,” the court had said earlier, underscoring that public safety cannot be sidelined in the debate over animal welfare.