Order of the Kerala High Court in the matter of W.P. (C) No. 13204 of 2021 dated 14/07/2021. The matter related to care of animals in Kerala.

The High Court directed the Kerala government to immediately take down public notices put up by the local authorities asking people not to feed community dogs (deprivation of food and water). The court warned that such notices must not be put up in future, which are against the objectives of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1916, and the Rules framed thereunder. The appropriate authorities have been asked to issue public notices requiring owners of animals - cattle, pets - falling within their respective local limits to register the animals in their ownership with the local authority concerned and obtain a licence as mandated under the Municipality/Panchayat Act/Rules.

Further, the government must also pass instructions requiring the future owners of animals to register their animals with the local authority concerned within three months of acquiring the said animal.

The state of Kerala was asked to look into the possibility of adopting the public-private partnership model for setting up the required infrastructure for animal shelters.