There may soon be "specific stray dog feeding zones" across Bengal

The Calcutta High Court has called on the West Bengal government to explore a potential state-wide policy for designated stray dog feeding locations, after a petitioner in Joynagar, South 24-Parganas, alleged he was assaulted for feeding strays in his locality. This directive follows a complaint by the petitioner that he was subjected to an attempted assault after refusing to comply with warnings to stop feeding the dogs.

The directive, issued by a bench led by Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, requests that the state’s advocate seek “necessary instructions from an appropriate officer of the State Municipal Affairs” to assess the feasibility of implementing Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s (KMC) model for setting specific locations for feeding stray dogs across West Bengal’s municipalities. The KMC has been noted for establishing fixed feeding locations within the city limits to manage human-dog interactions in public areas. This model is intended to balance the welfare of stray animals with the concerns of residents in populated areas.

The court also directed the state to produce a report detailing any actions taken in response to the petitioner’s grievance. He had previously submitted a formal representation on August 13, 2024, to the officer-in-charge of Joynagar Police Station, seeking redress. Justice Ghosh ordered that the report be submitted by November 27, 2024, when the matter will be heard further, under the section “For Orders.” Additionally, an affidavit of service was requested to be maintained on record.

The court instructed the petitioner to serve a notice to advocate Sabnam De, who customarily represents the KMC in legal matters, ensuring her involvement in the case. This directive aims to ensure that the KMC’s policy model is properly evaluated in the state’s approach to extending similar measures to other areas.