Gauhati HC Lifts Nagaland Ban on Dog Meat

The Gauhati High Court’s Kohima bench has lifted the ban on the sale and consumption of dog meat in Nagaland.

The Nagaland government banned the commercial trading of dog markets as well as commercial sale of dog meat way back in 2020.

While quashing the notification, the single justice bench of Justice Marli Vankung on June 2 held that the government could not have banned dog meat without there being any legal backing to the same.

The court on Friday observed that the consumption of dogs is not explicitly mentioned under the Food Safety and Standards Regulation of 2011.

Notably, a plea was filed by the Kohima Municipal Council challenging the legal basis and jurisdiction regarding the ban. The judge pointed out that dogs were not specifically specified in the definition of "animals," and that dog meat consumption is limited to particular portions of the Northeastern states.

While the petitioners made a living by transporting dogs and selling dog meat, the court determined that dog meat is not fit for human consumption and is therefore excluded from the concept of animals safe for human food.

The order was welcomed by the traders community, however, animal activists were left disappointed.

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