Animals are also living beings and a part of our society: Bombay High Court
MUMBAI: To hate and treat stray dogs with cruelty can never be an acceptable approach from “persons of civil society”, the Bombay High Court remarked while asking a housing society to amicably resolve issues with one of the residents over designating feeding spots for dogs.
A division bench of Justices GS Kulkarni and RN Laddha on Tuesday gave the example of lawyers and judges taking care of many stray dogs and cats in the High Court building complex.
“Take a round of the high court building...have you seen the number of cats... they are sometimes sitting on the dais too. You take them (cats) anywhere they come back,” Justice Kulkarni said.
“These animals are also living beings and a part of our society...we have to take care of them,” the court added.
“Everything non-co-operative happens in a cooperative society,” Justice Kulkarni said.
The bench was hearing a petition filed by one Paromita Purthan, who claims to be an animal lover taking care of 18 stray dogs in her society at suburban Kandivali. Purthan claimed she was not being permitted to feed the dogs and care for their requirements and a designated area for feeding the dogs is not being provided.
The petitioner claimed that the society management issued a directive to hire bouncers to stop Purthan.
On Monday, when the court heard the petition it remarked that the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023 issued by the Union government puts an obligation on everyone from causing any cruelty and harassment to the animals, as also to those, who intend to take care for these animals.
Hearing the matter on Tuesday, the bench was informed by the housing society that it had not hired any bouncers as alleged in the plea.
The court directed the society management and the petitioner to amicably resolve the issues and to consider having a designated feeding spot for the stray animals and posted the matter for further hearing on April 6. The bench said until then the petitioner can continue feeding the dogs at the society’s parking lot.