■ IIT-M not zoo; take steps to reduce dogs on campus: HC
The bench said the new arrivals may be handed over to the Chennai Corporation which should deal with such dogs in a humane manner
The IIT-Madras campus is not a dog park or a zoo, nor is it the IIT’s core business to devote its resources or energy towards maintaining dogs, including pets that residents in the city may abandon at its gates, the Madras High Court observed on Friday while directing the State government and Corporation to work on reducing the number of dogs in the campus, which has crossed over hundred.
When a plea moved by People for Cattle in India alleging IIT of not caring for the dogs adequately came up for hearing, the first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice PD Audikesavalu said it was necessary to reduce the number of dogs at the IIT campus.
“There could be a few dogs and given the size of the campus and dogs being traditionally present, the number may be reduced closer to 50, since there are deer and black bucks also on the campus,” the bench held.
Asking the government to put in places some measures to ensure that IIT does not become a dumping ground for abandoned dogs, the bench said the new arrivals may be handed over to the Corporation which should deal with such dogs in a humane manner.
However, considering the petitioner’s submission that 49 dogs died recently and the health of 14 dogs were delicate and require special attention, the court held it would be open to the petitioner to take the dogs requiring immediate care to any State-run veterinary hospital.
“Since the petitioner is obviously an organisation interested in animals and their ethical treatment, the petitioner, along with representatives of the State authorities, including the Corporation, Animal Husbandry Department and the Animal Welfare Board of India, should decide on a course of action that may be followed both to ensure that IIT is rid of the menace of too many dogs on its campus and the ultimate treatment of the dogs taken from the campus, whether by way of adoption or placement at some centres run by NGOs or the like.” The bench recorded Animal Welfare Board’s submission that IIT has done its best, and set aside Animal Husbandry Department’s suggestion to have better enclosures within the campus as baffling. The plea is scheduled to be taken up for further hearing on November 19.