New Delhi, Feb 17 (IANS): The Delhi High Court on Friday granted two weeks' time to the Delhi Advisory Board for Animal Welfare (DABAW) to file response on a plea against illegal dog breeders, making sure that the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing) Rules, 2017, are complied with.

The court direction came after the counsel appearing for the petitioner submitted that the response has not been received yet.

While granting time, the court listed the matter for next hearing on May 12.

Earlier, the high court had asked DABAW to file a status report on the same.

The counsel representing DABAW had informed the division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad that the status report had been prepared but it was not published on record.

The court had then granted two weeks' time to DABAW to file the status report.

In the plea, it is mentioned that illegal dog breeding keep happening and no action is being taken by the state government, which has continuously failed to bring any illegal dog breeder to justice.

The plea alleged that none of the dog breeders from Delhi are registered with the state animal welfare board. While not complying with the rules, their commercial activities continue unregulated, in complete violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing) Rules, 2017, framed under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

"Under Article 51A(g), it is the fundamental duty of every citizen to have compassion for living creatures. Further, the right to health is recognised as an essential part of the right to life protected by Article 21," the plea said.

Earlier, the Supreme Court in the Animal Welfare Board of India vs A. Nagaraja & Ors (2014) case had recognised that the interpretation of the right to live with dignity under Article 21 should be extended to the right of animals not to be treated cruelly.