Rampant Dog Bite Cases: Meghalaya High Court Directs Shillong Municipal Board To Provide Shelter For Strays

The Meghalaya High Court on Wednesday (November 27) directed the State government as well as the Shillong Municipal Board to take immediate steps to acquire shelter where street dogs can be kept.

The division bench of the Chief Justice I.P. Mukerji and Justice W. Diengdoh passed the direction while hearing a PIL involving the following issues:

1. With regard to relocation of the zoo in Shillong
2. Measures to deal with dog menace

The Court took judicial note of the fact that street dogs are increasing in number and pose a menace to the public. It further noted that the cases of dog bites and deaths caused by rabies are sizeable in number.

The Counsel appearing for the Shillong Municipal Board submitted that the municipality has taken measures to vaccinate those dogs against the above infection and sterilize them so that their number does not increase. However, it was further submitted that till now there is no shelter to keep those dogs.

It was highlighted that the municipality personnel capture the dogs from the road, vaccinate, sterilize them, and thereafter, they are released on the road again.

The Court observed:

“While we appreciate this work being carried out by the Municipal Board, there is absolute need for the Board to acquire a shelter where these street dogs can be kept. We direct that immediate steps be taken in that direction by the Board with the assistance of the State government and the action taken be embodied in a report to be filed in this Court by 5th February, 2025.”

With regard to the issue of relocation of zoo, the Counsel appearing for the State submitted that way back in June, 2024, the present zoo in Shillong was shifted to a location which is about 35 kms from Shillong and it has amongst other things a veterinary hospital manned by a competent doctor.

It was further submitted that nearly all the animals from the present zoo except a pregnant deer and birds have been transferred to the new location which is known as the Meghalaya State Zoo. It was stated that the birds could not be shifted as they had to be accommodated in a cage type enclosure, the construction of which has not been completed till now.

The Court noted that it is satisfied with the action taken by the government to shift the zoo to a location which is more congenial to animals.

The matter is again listed on February 10, 2025.

“In the meantime, the Shillong Municipal Board shall file an action taken report with regard to street dogs post passing of this order,” the Court added.

Case Title: Kaustav Paul v. State of Meghalaya & Ors.

Case No.: PIL No. 4/2024

Click Here To Read/Download Order