Uttar Pradesh Orders 'Life Imprisonment' For Stray Dogs Who Bite Humans Twice
In an unprecedented order, the state government has said dogs that bite a human without provocation once will be kept at an animal centre for 10 days and those that repeat the act will be kept there for the rest of their life.
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Stray dogs in Uttar Pradesh face permanent detention at animal centers after their second unprovoked bite incident.
A new stringent policy has been implemented for stray canines in Uttar Pradesh.
In a landmark decision, the state government has decreed that stray dogs that bite humans without provocation will face a 10-day detention at an animal facility, while repeat offenders will be permanently housed in these centers—effectively serving a life sentence. The only escape from this permanent confinement would be through adoption, where the new owner must legally commit to never allowing the dog to roam freely on streets again.
On September 10, Principal Secretary Amrit Abhijat issued this directive to all urban and rural civic authorities regarding the management of aggressive canines. The order states that when someone receives anti-rabies treatment following a stray dog bite, authorities will investigate and transport the dog to the nearest Animal Birth Control facility.
"At the center, any unsterilized dog will undergo sterilization. We'll monitor its behavior during a 10-day observation period. Before release, the dog will receive a microchip containing all its information and enabling location tracking," explained Dr. Bijay Amrit Raj, Veterinary Officer at Prayagraj Municipal Corporation.
If the same dog commits a second unprovoked attack on a human, it will be permanently confined to the center.
Addressing concerns about determining provocation, Dr. Raj clarified, "A three-member committee will be established, consisting of a local veterinarian, an animal behavior expert, and a municipal corporation representative. They will verify whether the attack was unprovoked—for instance, if someone throws a stone at the dog before being bitten, this wouldn't qualify as an unprovoked attack."
According to the government order, these permanently confined dogs may be adopted, but adopters must provide their complete personal details and submit a legal affidavit guaranteeing the dog will never be released onto streets. The microchip information will be recorded, and legal action will follow if the dog is found roaming freely.
This Uttar Pradesh mandate comes just one month after the Supreme Court initially ordered all stray dogs in Delhi and the National Capital Region to be rounded up and placed in shelters within eight weeks. Following significant public outcry, a larger bench modified this ruling, directing that strays should instead be sterilized, vaccinated, and returned to their original locations—with exceptions for rabid or aggressive animals.(With inputs from Deepak Gambhir)