Feed strays, they won’t get aggressive: Bombay HC tells management committee

The residents’ welfare association and some of the residents have been at loggerheads over the feeding of stray dogs. Unable to resolve the dispute they moved the Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court observed if stray dogs are provided food and some amount of care, they will not get aggressive.

The observations were made when the High Court sought and amicable solution between the management of the Seawoods Estate and dog lovers from the society.

Justice Gautam Patel who was heading a Division Bench observed, " if the strays are left unattended, that includes feeding, sterilisation, vaccination or necessary treatment when they are ill or sick, you will have problems with strays coming in looking for food and getting aggressive."

The court reminded the management that it had sought an issue of strays in the Bombay High Court.

"Nobody can tell a dog or a tiger what its territorial limits are, they do not know your boundaries of Seawoods Estate. We had this problem (strays) in the Bombay High Court. We solved it by feeding them. Now they just sleep.," Justice Patel said with a laugh according to report.

The court however said that once dedicated spots are identified, financial and physical obligations to feed, sterlise, vaccinate, neuter would fall on the volunteers. While adjourning the matter to March 20 2023, the court sought a list of such volunteers.

Six residents living in a residential complex in Seawoods in Navi Mumbai had sought a direction to the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) to identify and demarcate feeding stations for stray dogs in public places.

The residents also challenged the fines imposed on them by their housing society for feeding stray dogs. The management and the resident petitioners have been at loggerheads over this issue.

During the last date of hearing the court had sought the assistance of NGO, 'The Welfare of Stray Dogs which has been working on these issues for the past several decades.

Currently, three feeding sets have been identified by Seawoods Estate Ltd on the periphery of its boundaries on the land of the local authorities. While the court was happy with one plot, which was a two-acre tree belt, the other two were rejected by Justice Patel orally. The reason for the rejection was that one was on the main road and there were chances of accidents, while the other was opposite a school.