SC Orders All Stray Dogs in Delhi-NCR Be Sheltered in 8 Weeks
Citing public safety concerns over a rise in dog attacks and rabies deaths, the top court issued a strict order, directing civic authorities to build shelters and warning against any obstruction.
- The Supreme Court has ordered that all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR be moved to shelters within eight weeks, citing a rise in dog attacks and rabies-related deaths.
- The bench, comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan, stated that the move is in the public interest and that emotions should not be a factor.
- Civic authorities in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram have been directed to immediately set up shelters with professional handlers and CCTV cameras.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 11th Aug: Citing a rise in dog attacks and rabies-related deaths, the Supreme Court today issued a major order, directing that all stray dogs in the Delhi-NCR region be moved to shelters within eight weeks. The top court has instructed civic authorities to set up new shelters and warned that strict action will be taken against any individual or organization that obstructs the process.
The bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan stated that the order was being issued in the public interest and that any emotional considerations must be set aside. “We are doing this for the public interest, not for ourselves. Therefore, no emotions should be involved. The action should be taken as soon as possible,” Justice Pardiwala said.
The order directs the civic authorities of Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram to create dedicated shelter homes with professional staff, who will be responsible for the dogs’ sterilization and vaccination. The shelters must also be equipped with CCTV cameras to prevent escapes. The court also clarified that during this period, no dogs would be allowed to be adopted.
The decision was met with immediate criticism from animal rights activists. Gauri Maulekhi, a prominent activist, called the order “very sad” and said it would affect 10 lakh animals. She stated that the order, which she plans to challenge, was passed without hearing the other side and disregards the potential consequences of such a sudden removal of animals.
The court’s decision was influenced by grim statistics, which revealed 49 rabies cases and 35,198 animal bite incidents in Delhi between January and June of this year. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, arguing for the central government, told the court, “We cannot put our children’s lives at risk because of a few animal lovers.” The court has since said it will only listen to the central government’s arguments on the matter. In response, the Delhi government has committed to implementing the order on time.
