The High Court in Kerala postponed the implementation of a government order that allows local authorities to carry out euthanasia of stray dogs.
The court issued an order and considered a dose of petitions that expressed concern about an alarming increase in attacks from the vicious dogs in Kerala and the demands on compensation of victims. It is reported that while the rights to animals must be respected, they cannot overcome the fundamental rights of human beings.
The Bench of the Justice of CS Dias also ordered the government to make an affidavit specifically with the approximate population of stray dogs in the state, the number of dog bite incidents, including death, and the number of patients who received vaccines against Rabies last year.
The head of the state police should submit a statement within two weeks explaining the details of crimes registered in the State for criminal crimes according to sections 291 (negligent behavior with respect to the animal) and 325 (missed by killing, poisoning, mutilation or rendering an unnecessary animal) last year.
The Court ordered a member of the Secretary of the Office for Legal Services in Kerala to take steps to establish committees at the level of districts for processing and deciding to compensate for compensation submitted by the victims of dogs of dogs within one month.
Victims of attacks from stray dogs can bring new petitions to the district or taluk service committees, whether physically or online. If applications are submitted before the Taluk Services Committee, the same will be handed over to the Office of the District Office for Legal Services, he said.
It was presented in court that there were about three dogs in the state. Currently, there were 17 animal contraception resorts (ABC), which was not functional.
The existing ABC centers were insufficient to check the growing number of stray dogs. In 2024-2025 only 15 767 stray dogs were sterilized. Of the 98 Crore assigned to the local government department for wandering dog control, only 13 GBP crore was spent.
Published – July 30, 2025 20:48
