SC orders removal of stray dogs from Delhi-NCR streets

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday, August 11, directed authorities to remove all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR localities and place them in shelters, stating that the canines would not be allowed to return to the streets.

Court calls dog bite cases ‘extremely grim’

Calling the incidents of stray dog bites “extremely grim”, a bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan passed a slew of directions and warned of strict action against an individual or organisation in case of obstruction, which might also prompt the court to initiate contempt proceedings.

“If any individual or any organisation comes in the way of such force picking up stray dogs and rounding them up, and if it is reported to us, we shall proceed to take strict action against any such resistance which may be offered,” the bench said.

The bench further remarked that the animal activists and “so-called lovers” would be able to bring back children who fell prey to rabies.

“Will they put life back into those children? When the situation demands, you have to act,” it noted.

The top court was hearing a suo motu case initiated on July 28 over stray dog bites leading to rabies in the national capital.

Shelters to be set up for 5,000 dogs in two months

The top court on Monday directed all the strays to be removed and put in shelters by the Delhi government and civic bodies of Gurugram, Noida and Ghaziabad.

The top court ordered dog shelters to have sufficient personnel to sterilise and immunise the dogs, aside from looking after them. The centres would be under CCTV surveillance to ensure no dog was released or taken out.

Since it was a “progressive exercise”, the top court suggested augmenting the number of dog shelters in future.

The bench said for the time being, the authorities should begin by creating dog shelters for around 5,000 dogs within six to eight weeks.

It said the authorities “shall at the earliest start picking up stray dogs from all localities, more particularly the vulnerable localities of the city as well as areas on the outskirts”.

The bench went on, “How to do it is for the authorities to look into. For this, if they have to create a force, they shall do it at the earliest.”

The bench underlined that making the city and outskirts free of strays was the “first and foremost” exercise.