SHILLONG: The Meghalaya High Court has instructed the state government authorities to set up shelter homes for street dogs in Shillong. This was as a response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) brought forward that addressed the growing issues of stray dogs within the city, such as public safety and frequent attacks by dogs.
No official census has been taken on the street dogs in Shillong, but the PIL was filed to deal with increasing cases of attacks by dogs and also the unavailability of suitable facilities for controlling the stray population.
A division bench, headed by Chief Justice IP Mukerji and Justice W Diengdoh, observed that in spite of efforts made by the Shillong Municipal Board, the situation remained the same.
The Shillong Municipal Board told the court that it has been actively catching, vaccinating, and sterilizing stray dogs. The efforts have not been enough to eradicate the problem. The board mentioned the lack of a specific shelter home as one of the main reasons for the problem.
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To resolve the issue, the state government organized a meeting on February 12 and resolved to temporarily permit the Shillong Municipal Board to utilize an animal shelter in Upper Shillong.
The facility, which belongs to the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department, was transferred to the municipal board for two months. The board, however, notified the court that the shelter would only hold 20 dogs, which was insufficient based on the size of the problem.
The High Court was not pleased that the board did not raise an eyebrow over the requirement of a permanent shelter in the previous meeting with the government functionaries.
The division bench has now ordered the state and the Shillong Municipal Board to meet once again to deliberate on long-term measures, including land identification and acquisition for a permanent shelter home.
Until a permanent center is set up, the temporary shelter at Upper Shillong should be upgraded to house additional dogs, the court directed. The state government and the Shillong Municipal Board have also been asked to file a common progress report on their actions before the next hearing in the court, which is set for May 8.
