Justice Vikram Nath expressed gratitude for the stray dogs case, saying it made him known not only in the legal fraternity but globally. He added that apart from dog lovers, even dogs were giving him blessings and good wishes.
Supreme Court Justice Vikram Nath remarked on Saturday that, while he was primarily recognized for his contributions within the legal community, the issue of stray dogs has brought him recognition beyond India, reaching a global audience.
He expressed his gratitude to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) for assigning him the case related to stray dogs.
He stated,
“So [far], I have been known in the legal fraternity for the little work I do, but I am thankful to the stray dogs (case) for making me known to the entire civil society, not only in this country but world over. And I am thankful to my CJI for allotting me that matter,”
Justice Nath spoke at an event focused on tackling the increasing challenges of human-wildlife conflict in Kerala.
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The conference, organized by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and the Kerala State Legal Services Authority (KeLSA), took place in Thiruvananthapuram and included attendance from various Supreme Court and High Court judges.
In his address, he mentioned that during a recent gathering of presidents from different lawyers’ associations, many inquired about the stray dogs issue.
He noted,
“And I have also been receiving messages saying that apart from dog lovers, dogs are also giving me blessings and good wishes. In addition to human blessings and good wishes, I have their good wishes also. Our courts have upheld the public trust doctrine, reminding us that natural resources are not the property of state, but a trust to be preserved for present and future generations,”
The stray dogs issue gained attention after a Bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan ordered municipal authorities in Delhi on August 11 to start rounding up stray dogs and set up shelters within eight weeks.
Earlier order of August 11, passed by a Bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan, had created huge controversy. That order had directed that all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR must be caught and sent to shelters within eight weeks.
The Court at that time had taken serious note of the rising number of dog bite cases and rabies-related deaths. In fact, official figures from 2024 showed at least 37 lakh dog bite cases and 54 suspected deaths due to rabies.
The apex court, On Aug 22, changed its earlier order of August 11 that had directed authorities to round up all stray dogs in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) and to keep them permanently in shelters without release.
A three-judge Bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria ruled that stray dogs should be sent back to their original locations after proper medical care.
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