New Delhi, Aug 5 (IANS): Taking note of a recent incident where a seven-year-old child died after being bitten by a pack of stray dogs, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the South Delhi Municipal Corporation to file a status report on the issue.

While observing that stray dogs were a menace, a division bench of Justice B.D. Ahmed and Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva said: "One of our judges was also bitten by a stray dog."

The bench asked all civic agencies to file detailed status reports on how the rules for controlling the stray dog population were being implemented by them.

It said the status report shall indicate the number of sterilizations carried out on stray dogs and how many of them were returned to the localities they were picked up from.

The court was hearing a petition filed by NGO Nyaya Bhoomi seeking direction for all civic bodies to take appropriate action or frame guidelines to protect Delhiites from the menace of stray dogs.

During the hearing, the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) told the court that the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules were not being implemented by the agencies and in order to control the menace of stray dogs, it was necessary that the rules be implemented in letter and spirit.

The court posted the matter for August 26.