NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Centre to decide expeditiously and, preferably within three months, on a representation seeking to cancel and ban the license to keep “dangerous” dog breeds such as Pitbull, Terriers, American Bulldog, and Rottweiler and their cross-breeds. A division bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan disposed of a PIL seeking a ban on the “dangerous dog breeds” and for stopping their registration.
The bench, also comprising Justice Mini Pushkarna, was dealing with a plea which also mentioned that breeds including German Shepherd, Japanese Tosa, Perro de Pres Canario (Canary Dog), Argentinean Dog, Brazilian Dog, Bandog, Neapolitan Mastiff, Wolf Dog, Boerboel, Cane Corso are in the “dangerous dogs category” and banned in more than 35 countries, including India.
The plea said, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, however, was still registering them. On October 5, the petitioner sent a representation to the secretary of MHA in the matter. The MHA on Wednesday told the court that the Animal Welfare Board of India would take as a representation that was already forwarded to the secretary of the Department of Animal Husbandry.
After consulting the stakeholders, the Centre will take a decision, the HC was told. “Indian breeds are far more sturdy. They don’t fall sick often,” the bench remarked. The petition contended that none of the breeders in the capital are complying with the rules, and their commercial activities continued unregulated in complete violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (dog breeding and marketing) rules, 2017, framed under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.