The Supreme Court on Thursday resumed the hearings on the stray dog issue and focussed on the petitions highlighting the risks posed by stray animals and the alleged lapses of civic authorities in controlling them.

The bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria observed that dogs and cats are “natural enemies" and remarked that promoting cats could help control rodent populations. The bench, however, clarified the scope of its earlier directions, stressing that it had not ordered the removal of every stray dog from the streets.

The court underlined that its focus was on strict compliance with the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules and reiterated that it had only directed the removal of dogs from institutional areas.

Raising concerns over safety in sensitive spaces, the bench asked how many dogs should be allowed to roam hospital wards and around patients, indicating that public health and safety remained central to its considerations.

The development came after the top court on Wednesday expressed concern over the increasing number of dog bite incidents in the country and said that authorities have failed to implement the Animal Birth Control (ABC) rules.

“We are conscious that these things are happening. Children, adults are getting bitten, people are dying," the bench said.

The bench also noted that in the past 20 days, two judges had met with accidents caused by stray animals on highways, and one judge is in serious condition.

Source: India Today