Telangana News: High Court stays circular banning 25 dog breeds

HYDERABAD. Hyderabad: Justice B Vijaysen Reddy of the Telangana High Court on Friday put an interim stay on a circular issued by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying that banned the keeping, import, breeding and sale of 25 dog breeds considered ‘dangerous’. The circular, issued in March, also ordered immediate sterilisation of any ‘dangerous dog’ kept as a pet.

The circular was issued following a direction by the Delhi High Court in the case of “The Legal Attorneys and Barristers Law Firm vs UOI and Others”, which called for a ban on keeping certain dog breeds due to the recent rise in dog bite deaths.

Imposing the stay, Justice Reddy said: “Nowadays, keeping a dog has become a social symbol. People keep expensive dogs to show their social prestige.” The counsel for the petitioners, who are ardent animal lovers, agreed with the court, saying that while they recognise the social aspect of keeping these breeds, the circular lacks scientific backing. The counsel argued that the circular perpetuates unfounded fears towards these breeds, creating irrational fear within the community. The petitioners said that the rise in dog bite incidents across the country is not linked to specific breeds but to unvaccinated stray dogs.