The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday said it would consider directing the Tamil Nadu government to implement in the state the Supreme Court's order on managing street dogs in Delhi.
A Bench was hearing and disposing of a batch of petitions relating to stray animals — one on stray cattle, another on street dogs in general, and a third on the menace of dogs inside a temple that had allegedly bitten devotees, causing injuries and raising fears of rabies.
During the hearing, petitioners submitted alarming data, claiming that Tamil Nadu had already recorded 3.67 lakh dog bites and 20 deaths due to dog-bite-related rabies this year alone. The judges said they would issue combined formal orders after studying the Supreme Court's detailed guidelines.
The possible directive has sparked mixed reactions. Animal welfare activists expressed concern over the state's lack of infrastructure, manpower, and veterinary expertise to handle such a large street dog population. "Dogs have equal rights to live in this world," one activist said, adding that a poorly implemented crackdown could leave thousands of dogs neglected or starving. They urged the court instead to ensure that the state rigorously enforces the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme, which focuses on sterilisation and vaccination as humane solutions.
On the other hand, many residents and civic activists welcomed the move, stressing that human life must come first. They argued that the rising number of fatal and non-fatal dog attacks called for immediate, decisive intervention. "Lives should not be lost to dog bites in this day and age," one petitioner said, pointing to the absence of coordinated rabies control measures in several districts.
The court's reference to the Supreme Court's Delhi order suggests that Tamil Nadu could soon see new, court-mandated protocols for street dog management — potentially affecting everything from municipal responsibility and sterilisation drives to shelter management and public awareness campaigns.
The Bench is expected to issue its final directions after reviewing the top court's ruling, setting the stage for a state-wide policy on balancing public safety and animal rights.
