The Supreme Court on Friday (August 22) modified its earlier order on stray dogs, holding that those picked up by municipal authorities must be sterilised, dewormed, vaccinated, and released back to the same area from which they were taken — except in cases where the dogs are infected with rabies, suspected of infection, or show aggressive behaviour. Such dogs will remain in shelters or pounds after treatment.
A three-judge bench of Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta, and Justice NV Anjaria stayed the August 11 directive of a two-judge bench that had ordered all picked-up strays in Delhi-NCR to be relocated to shelters. The Court said a “holistic approach” was needed and extended its new directions pan-India, impleading all States and Union Territories in the case.
Key directions issued include:
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Municipal authorities must continue to set up shelters and pounds for stray dogs.
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Feeding of stray dogs on streets or public places has been declared illegal. Dedicated feeding spaces must be created in every municipal ward, marked with notice boards.
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Anyone found violating feeding restrictions will face legal action.
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Municipal bodies must establish dedicated helpline numbers for reporting violations.
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NGOs or individuals obstructing municipal staff will face prosecution for obstruction of duty.
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Animal lovers and NGOs involved in the case must deposit ₹25,000 and ₹2 lakh, respectively, with the Court. The funds will be used for creating infrastructure for stray dogs.
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Citizens wishing to adopt street dogs may apply to municipal bodies, and once adopted, it will be their responsibility to ensure the dogs do not return to the streets.
The Court clarified that these directions are being enforced in light of repeated untoward incidents caused by unregulated feeding and to ensure a balance between public safety and animal welfare.
The case originated from a suo motu cognisance by the Court earlier this month following a report titled “City hounded by strays and kids pay price”. The August 11 order had initially directed the relocation of all strays from Delhi-NCR to shelters, which has now been modified after concerns of conflicting orders were raised before the Chief Justice.
