Those who feed stray dogs will have to pay for people's care if bitten: SC

Kochi/New Delhi The Supreme Court said orally on Friday that Kerala's stray dog problem needs to be resolved as soon as possible and suggested that individuals who feed street dogs be held accountable for vaccinating them.

The stray dog problem in Kerala was the subject of a number of petitions, and a bench made up of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and J K Maheshwari made the suggestion that people who feed stray dogs should also be responsible for any damages if someone is attacked by one. The SC announced that an interim order would be issued on September 28.

The Justice Siri Jagan Commission was established by the SC in 2016 to address complaints about dog bites and to assess compensation for victims. The bench also requested a status report from the commission.

"A solution has to be found... What I had thought was that the people who feed dogs should be allowed to do so, they can keep a number or marking on the dog and they will be responsible for vaccinating them and bearing the cost if a person is attacked," observed Justice Khanna, NIE reported.

The SC's findings follow reports of almost 1 lakh stray dog bite victims and 21 rabies fatalities so far this year. Five of the 21 fatalities had anti-rabies vaccinations.

Abhirami, a 12-year-old Ranni girl who was being treated at the Kottayam Medical College Hospital after being attacked by a stray dog, passed away on Monday.

A group of appeals against a 2015 ruling by the Kerala High Court that allowed for the capture and killing of stray dogs were being heard by the SC bench. The appeals were brought by the Animal Welfare Board of India and other parties.