Stopped feeding stray dogs in the colony, the Bombay High Court said- ‘Animals are also living beings… care has to be taken.’
The Bombay High Court has made a significant comment regarding stray dogs. The court said that hating or oppressing stray dogs is unacceptable to ‘persons of civilized society.’ The High Court made this comment while hearing a petition in which a woman claimed she was being prevented from feeding stray dogs in the residential society. The court has asked society to resolve the issue amicably.
Justice G. S. Kulkarni and Justice R. N. Laddha’s bench also cited the example of lawyers and judges taking care of several stray dogs and cats in the High Court building complex on Tuesday. Justice Kulkarni said, “These animals are also living beings and part of our society…we have to take care of them.” The bench was hearing a petition filed by Paromita Purthan. She has claimed in her petition that she is an animal lover and takes care of 18 stray dogs in her society in suburban Kandivali. Still, she is being prevented from feeding the dogs and not being given a different place.
The petitioner claims that the society management has also instructed to install bouncers to stop them. “We wish to warn the members of the managing committee and other members of the society that to hate or treat stray dogs with cruelty cannot be a good attitude of a civilized person,” the court said in its order on Monday. And cruelty to such animals would be against the constitutional ethos and statutory provisions.”
During Tuesday’s hearing, the housing society informed the bench that it had not hired any bouncer, as alleged in the petition. The court directed the society management and the petitioner to resolve the issue amicably and consider giving a designated place for feeding the stray animals. After this, the matter was listed for further hearing on April 6. The bench said that till then, the petitioners can continue to feed the dogs in the society’s parking lot.
