The Supreme Court of India, in a significant order amid the “alarming rise” in dog bite cases, on Friday directed the removal of stray dogs from various public utility premises, including educational institutions, hospitals, bus stands, sports complexes, and railway stations.
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria mandated that the removed canines be sent to designated dog shelters. In a key directive, the Court ordered that the dogs “must not be released back to the same place where they were picked up.”
The bench, which is monitoring the issue through a suo motu proceeding, directed authorities to prevent dogs from entering the premises of both government and private educational institutions and hospitals. The Court has set a timeline of eight weeks for this removal process to be completed.
The apex court’s intervention originates from a suo motu case initiated on July 28, following a media report highlighting the prevalence of stray dog bites leading to rabies, particularly among children in the national capital.
Previous Rulings and Clarifications
The Supreme Court had previously issued several orders to tackle what it termed an “extremely grim” situation. In July, the Court had ruled that all stray dogs in the national capital and adjoining regions must be shifted away from residential localities to shelters.
The Court specified that these shelters must be staffed with professionals capable of handling the dogs, carrying out sterilisation and immunisation, and ensuring the canines are not let out. At that time, the Court had also warned that any individual or organisation blocking the authorities from picking up stray dogs would face the “strictest action”.
The provided information also notes that a previous order had directed that animals could be released back into the same area after sterilisation and immunisation. However, the three-judge bench had clarified that this policy would not apply to any dogs infected with rabies, suspected to be infected, or those “displaying aggressive behaviour.”
On the issue of feeding, the Court had directed municipal authorities to create a “dedicated feeding space” where people can feed stray dogs, explicitly stating that “public feeding will not be allowed” and warning of strict action for violations.
Directives on Stray Cattle
In the same proceeding, the bench expanded its directives to address the issue of stray cattle on roads. The Court ordered all states and union territories, the National Highway Authority (NHAI), and civic bodies to ensure the removal of stray cattle from national highways, state highways, and other roads.
The bench ordered the establishment of a “dedicated highway patrol team” tasked with getting hold of stray cattle on roads and ensuring they are “shifted to shelter homes, where proper care will be provided.”
Further directives include:
- All national highways must have helpline numbers for reporting stray cattle.
- The chief secretaries of all states are responsible for ensuring “strict compliance” with these directives.
The Supreme Court is set to hear the matter further on January 13.
