No SC order that says feeders must pay compensation to victims of stray dog attacks

Hyderabad: A post about a Supreme Court order on stray dogs and their feeders has gone viral on social media.

The viral post claims, "People who feed stray dogs have to bear the cost of treatment in case of any mishaps and pay compensation if the dog bites anyone, says Supreme Court."

Fact Check

NewsMeter ran a keyword search to find the order passed by the Supreme Court but came up empty-handed. We did not find any media report that supported this claim. If such an order had been passed by the apex court the mainstream media would have reported it.

Further, India Today on 22 August 2022 reported that Centre has made no provision to give compensation to dog-bite victims who have died or suffered injuries from an attack. The same article also stated, "In 2016, a panel was formed by the Supreme Court to ascertain as to what compensation could be given in such cases. The panel had submitted five recommendations to the apex court, including availability of anti-rabies vaccine in all hospitals, training to all medical officers, nurses on animal bites, proper waste management, control of stray dogs and licensing of domesticated animals with proper vaccination."

It further said, "Kerala is the only state in India to have a committee to decide compensation for cases of stray dog bites after the same was constituted by the top court. The three-member committee headed by S. Siri Jagan, a former judge of the Kerala High Court, has received 2,496 claims for compensation so far. It has closed 456 claims, including those recommended for compensation."

Another report by The Indian Express, dated 7 September 2022, said S. Siri Jagan committee has been engaged in providing compensation to dog-bite victims. Till 5 September 2022, the three-member committee has received 5,191 applications, seeking compensation for stray dog attacks or injuries sustained in accidents caused by them.

According to Justice Siri Jagan, a retired judge of the Kerala High Court, the number of applications for compensation is less compared to the figures of stray dog bite cases reported in the state. "This is mainly due to people's lack of awareness about this system or the committee. Most victims of stray dog bites do not know about this system. Before pandemic-related lockdown, we were having sittings across the state. Now, post-lockdown, the sitting is being held in Kochi. We are getting four-five applications every week from various parts of the state," he said.

These reports confirm that the Supreme Court has not passed any order that says a person who feeds stray dogs is liable to pay compensation to dog bite victims. This proves that the claim is false.