GUWAHATI: The Delhi High Court has overturned a circular issued by the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, which prohibited the import, breeding, and selling of several "dangerous and ferocious" dog breeds.
A division bench consisting of acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora annulled the circular issued on March 12 after the union government's counsel expressed no objection to setting it aside, with a directive to issue a fresh circular after eliciting objections from all stakeholders.
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"In view of the statement by learned counsel for Union of India, the impugned circular dated 12th March 2024 is set aside," the court declared. Given the impracticality of providing oral hearings to every dog owner, the court mandated the central government to publish a public notice in a national newspaper and on the ministry's official website, inviting written objections to the proposed or draft notification within two weeks.
"The objections submitted in response to the advertisement/publication on the website shall be examined and decided by the respondents before issuing the final notification," the court directed. The bench disposed of a series of petitions contesting the notification, arguing that the ban was imposed on 23 dog breeds without consulting or seeking objections and suggestions from stakeholders.
However, the court clarified that it did not comment on or address the recent judgment of the Karnataka High Court, which also invalidated the circular. The circular had prohibited breeds such as Pitbull Terrier, Tosa Inu, American Staffordshire Terrier, Fila Brasileiro, Dogo Argentino, and others, mandating sterilisation for pet owners and halting further breeding of the banned breeds.
