Larger Supreme Court bench to hear Delhi dogs case tomorrow amid backlash
The Supreme Court on Monday directed civic authorities in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) to immediately catch and sterilise stray dogs and relocate them permanently to shelters. In a stern directive, the court said the order must be implemented without compromise.CREATE DOG SHELTERS IN EIGHT WEEKSDirecting immediate action, the court instructed the Delhi government, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, NDMC, and the appropriate authorities of Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, and Faridabad to create dog shelters/pounds and report to the court on the creation of such infrastructure across the National Capital Region within eight weeks.The shelters must have sufficient personnel to sterilise, deworm, and immunise stray dogs, and to care for them without releasing them back onto the streets, colonies, or public places. All shelters will be monitored by CCTV to ensure no dogs are released or taken out.The court further directed authorities to start by creating shelters for 5,000 dogs in the next six to eight weeks, calling it a 'progressive exercise' that would require expanding capacity over time.RELOCATION OF DOGS HAS CONCERNS OF WELL-BEING'We are mindful that relocation of dogs has concerns of well-being,' the court observed, stressing that stray dogs 'should not be subjected to cruelty, mistreatment, or starvation' and 'should at no point be left completely unmonitored.'The court said it was 'sympathetic to their lives as well' and made it clear that no overcrowding should occur in shelters. Authorities must ensure that dogs are adequately and regularly fed, with at least two responsible personnel present at all times, supported by a proper duty schedule.Timely medical care from trained veterinarians must be provided, and vulnerable or weak dogs should be housed separately where possible.TOP COURT ON ADOPTION OF DOGS AT SHELTERSThe court said it would be open to authorities to decide on the viability of implementing an adoption scheme for dogs kept at shelters, in line with the Standard Protocol for Adoption of Community Animals dated May 2022 issued by the Animal Welfare Board of India.However, the court made it clear that 'no such adoption should result in the re-release of a stray dog back onto the streets' and warned, 'If we find even a single infraction of such kind, we will proceed to take the strictest of action against the official responsible as well as the individual.'- EndsTune InMust Watch
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Scroll.in
2 minutes ago
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32 minutes ago
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an hour ago
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