Supreme Court to decide on stray dog bite victims’ compensation

The Supreme Court on Monday decided to examine whether compensation can be awarded to stray dog bite victims, especially to the old and children as most of them could not afford the high cost of treatment for rabies.

A Bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Prafulla C.Pant issued notice to the Centre and the Kerala government on a petition filed by Aluva Janaseva or Ernakulam highlighting the series of stray dog bite cases in Kerala in the last few months.

The bench said it will examine the rights of people to protection from stray dog bites and protection of dogs under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960. The bench sought response from Centre and Kerala for protecting children from the rising number of dog bite incidents. The petitioner, NGO Aluva Jana Seva, has also sought prompt treatment of the victims and payment of compensation to them.

Counsel V.K. Biju submitted that there was increase in the number of stray dog bites virtually turning the state into the dog’s own country. The bench agreed with the contention that kids were an easy target for the stray dogs and as such they stood on a different footing, requiring protection.

Posting the cases for final hearing in March, 2016 a Bench also asked the high courts not to pass any order on petitions pertaining to the 1960 Act and the relevant rules issued in 2000. It directed the state governments and local bodies to strictly follow the laws governing stray dogs, including those suffering from rabies and terminal illnesses or creating nuisance by biting people, and stay away from any innovative methods till the disposal of the petitions.

The Animal Welfare Board of India had submitted that stray dogs should not be killed indiscrimina-tely as man has been using the canine specie in a variety of ways for centuries.

The Bench has asked the Board to ensure that all the states complied with the court order and the provisions of the 1960 Act. It has asked state chief secretaries to ensure implementation of the SC order in “letter and spirit.”