High Court Ruling: Licenses for Pet Owners to Ensure Safety of Humans and Animals

The increasing incidents of dog attacks and instances of animal aggression across different parts of the country have drawn significant attention, especially after a case reached the Kerala High Court. The court made a noteworthy comment, emphasizing the importance of addressing human concerns arising from dog attacks. While ensuring the safety of citizens from dog bites is crucial, it cannot come at the expense of human life.

Human life is invaluable, and the court emphasized that ensuring human safety is essential even for pet lovers. In this regard, the court highlighted the necessity for pet lovers to obtain licenses, especially those engaging in local pet breeding activities. Obtaining licenses for pet lovers is crucial to prevent disputes and to address issues promptly. Pet owners must cooperate with the government in efforts to prevent dog attacks and aggression towards humans. The court directed the Kerala government to establish regulations for issuing licenses to individuals interested in fostering dogs for the purpose of safeguarding them.

Justice P.V. Kunhikrishnan’s court had acknowledged that due to dog attacks, children, youth, and elderly people are at risk. Incidents of dog attacks and breeding of aggressive dogs are increasing across the country. In various places, people are becoming victims of dog attacks more frequently. The High Court stated that pet dogs pose a danger to society. If pet owners or dog lovers are allowed to take any dog indiscriminately, pet lovers or dog enthusiasts may face opposition. The court emphasized the importance of prioritizing human safety in the breeding of pet dogs. However, attacks by pet dogs on humans should not be tolerated. It is noteworthy that in recent years, incidents of dog attacks and breeding of aggressive dogs have been increasing significantly, prompting calls for regulation.

Residents of Kannur district in Kerala had approached the court against Rajeev Krishnan, a pet lover. In reality, he used to keep stray dogs at his home. Consequently, several dogs had proliferated in the area. Moreover, due to the lack of cleanliness of the dogs, filth was also spreading. Rajeev had stated in court that his family members have a special affection for animals.