The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the removal of stray dogs from sensitive public areas such as schools, hospitals, railway stations, bus stands, and sports complexes, citing an “alarming rise in dog bite incidents” across the country.
A three-judge bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria passed the order while hearing a suo motu case titled In Re: City Hounded by Strays, Kids Pay Price.
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Local bodies to fence areas and take responsibility
As per a report by the LiveLaw, the Court directed that these public premises must be fenced to prevent stray dog entry and made it the responsibility of local self-government institutions to pick up dogs from such areas. The animals, once caught, must be vaccinated and sterilised as per the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules and shifted to designated shelters, not released back in the same spots.
“Allowing the dogs to return would defeat the purpose of keeping such public institutions free of stray presence,” the bench observed.
Senior advocates Anand Grover and Karuna Nundy requested the Court to reconsider this, noting that removing dogs from one place may lead to new packs taking over the same area. However, the bench declined to entertain the objections.
Similar action for stray cattle
The Court also ordered the removal of stray cattle and other animals from highways and roads, endorsing similar directions earlier issued by the Rajasthan High Court. It asked Chief Secretaries of all states and Union Territories to ensure strict compliance and warned that officers would be held personally responsible for violations.
A joint drive has been ordered nationwide, and a compliance report is to be filed within eight weeks detailing mechanisms adopted to carry out the directions.
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Background
The Supreme Court had first taken suo motu cognisance of rising stray dog attacks in July after a Times of India report highlighted children being mauled in Delhi. The matter has since evolved into a pan-India issue, with multiple interim directions covering Delhi-NCR, Noida, Gurugram, and Ghaziabad.
The court has repeatedly expressed concern over the failure of civic bodies to act and has warned of penal action against anyone obstructing removal drives.
