Context
- Recently, the Supreme Court of India, while addressing concerns over the stray dog menace, ruled that public safety and human life must take precedence over the interests of stray animals. A Bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N.V. Anjaria held that Article 21 includes the right to move freely and safely in public spaces. The Court also clarified that municipal authorities may adopt legally permissible measures, including euthanasia, for rabid, incurably ill, or dangerous stray dogs.
1. Key Judicial & Policy Mandates
- Status of Stray Dogs in Public Spaces: The Supreme Court said that under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023 and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, stray dogs do not have an unlimited right to stay in public places if they become dangerous or create safety risks for people.
- Ban on Re-release in Institutional Areas: Stray dogs removed from high-footfall public locations—such as educational institutions, hospitals, bus depots, and railway stations—cannot be “re-released” back into these specific institutional areas even after completing vaccination and sterilization.
- Mandatory ABC Centres: The Court directed all States and Union Territories to establish at least one fully functional Animal Birth Control (ABC) Centre in every district.
- Public Health Response: Governments must ensure the adequate availability of anti-rabies vaccines and immunoglobulin in all government medical facilities to handle emergency dog-bite incidents.
2. About Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023
- The Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, were notified by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
- It aims to regulate stray dog population control through sterilisation and immunisation, not culling.
- The responsibility of carrying out ABC programmes lies with the respective local bodies, municipalities, municipal corporations, and panchayats.
- Classification of animals:-
- (1) Pet animals – dogs owned and kept indoor by individuals; (2) Street dogs or community owned Indian dogs or abandoned pedigreed dogs which are homeless, living on the street or within a gated campus.
3. About the Rabies Virus
- Nature of the Disease: Rabies is a viral disease (RNA Virus) caused by the rabies virus, a neurotropic virus that attacks the central nervous system.
- Fatality: It is 100% fatal once clinical symptoms appear. However, it is preventable through timely vaccination.
- Transmission: Spread through saliva via bites, scratches, or broken skin, Human-to-human transmission has not been confirmed.
- Primary vector: Dogs (99% cases) Other Carrier (Cats, bats, raccoons, foxes etc.)
- Prevention: Full anti-rabies vaccination is required, Rabies immunoglobulin or monoclonal antibodies are needed for severe exposure.
- Global Target: The World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) have set a collective global goal of “Zero Human Rabies Deaths by 2030” (commonly driven by the ‘Zero by 30’ campaign focusing heavily on mass dog vaccination).
With reference to the recent Supreme Court ruling on stray dogs and rabies, consider the following statements:
1. The Supreme Court allowed legally permissible euthanasia for rabid, incurably ill, or dangerous stray dogs.
2. Under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, stray dogs removed from hospitals and railway stations can be re-released into the same areas after sterilisation.
3. Rabies is a viral disease that becomes almost 100% fatal once clinical symptoms appear.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer:
(c) 1 and 3 only
Explanation:
• Statement 1 is correct: The Supreme Court allowed legally permissible euthanasia for rabid, incurably ill, or dangerous stray dogs.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: The Court ruled that stray dogs removed from high-footfall public places cannot be re-released into the same institutional areas even after sterilisation and vaccination.
• Statement 3 is correct: Rabies is a viral disease and is almost 100% fatal once symptoms appear.
