SC directs municipal authorities in Delhi NCR to remove stray dogs at the earliest

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Delhi government, and the municipal bodies here to start at the earliest removing stray dogs from all the localities in the national capital region, finding the situation as extremely grim.

Taking up a suo a motu matter, a bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan said any individual or organisation coming in the way of removal of such stray dogs would face strict actions, including contempt proceedings.

"Immediate steps need to be taken to take care of the menace of dog bites leading to rabies," the bench said.

The court also directed for setting up the dog shelters to accommodate around 5,000 stray dogs within eight weeks and sufficient personnel should be deployed to sterilise and immunise the canines.

"There should not be any compromise in undertaking the exercise," the bench said.

"We are not doing this for us, it is in public interest, so no sentiments of any nature should be involved, action should be taken at the earliest," the bench added.

Considering the matter registered as 'City Hounded by Strays and Kids Pay Price' on the basis of a news report, the court directed the stray dogs should be kept in shelter homes and not released into the localities, saying the societies should be free from stray dogs whether sterlised or not.

"One should not find a single stray dog moving around in any locality of the city or in the outskirts. We have noticed one very absurd and unreasonable rule, if you pick up a stray dog from one part, you sterilise the dog and put him at the same place, that is absolutely absurd and doesn't make any sense at all. Why should that stray dog come back to the locality and for what," the bench asked.

Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, appearing for trustee of People for Animals, sought to intervene into the matter.

The bench, however, said it would not allow any intervention application in this matter in the larger public interest and no sentiments in this type of litigation should be involved.

The court also asked if all these animal rights activists would be able to bring back those fallen to rabies.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Delhi government, asked the court to make a strong intervention into the matter. He said sterilisation was no solution as it only prevented the increase in their population, and would not check the canines from giving rabies. He said there are YouTube videos showing, children dying and parents crying helplessly because even doctors say, they don't have any cure.

Senior advocate Gaurav Agrawal, appearing as amicus curiae, suggested for creation of dog shelters and making stray dogs available for adoption.

The court, however, said stray dogs can't be made available for adoption as pet dogs overnight.

Among its directions, the court ordered for creating helpline within one week to report all cases of dog bites and rabies. It said, action should be taken within four hours to pick up the dog upon a complaint.

The court also noted availability of vaccine is a major concern and the authorities concerned should put detailed information of availability of vaccines and the persons who have sought it.

It also directed the appropriate authority of Noida and Gurugram, to maintain a record of daily stray dogs captured and detained.