12-08-2025
Now Rajasthan cities told to remove stray dogs from roads, ensuring ‘minimal physical harm'
The Rajasthan High Court on Monday directed municipal corporations across the state to undertake a special drive to remove 'stray dogs and other animals' from the roads under their jurisdiction while ensuring 'minimum physical harm' to them.
The court said that if anyone obstructs the municipal employees during this process, the officials 'will be free to take appropriate action against them under the relevant Municipal laws including lodging of the FIRs for obstructing public servants from performing their duties'.
'We expect from the general public that if due to their sentiments or religious beliefs or for love towards the animals, they want to feed them or offer food or take care of them, then they shall perform such activities at dog shelters and cattle ponds/gaushalas maintained by the municipalities or private individual/organisation,' the bench said.
The court has also directed the Additional Advocate General to file a detailed report regarding the condition and maintenance of dog shelters and cattle ponds/gaushalas maintained by the municipal corporations. The report will also indicate the number of manpower available with each corporation for this task, apart from doctors and supporting staff appointed by them at the dog shelters and cattle ponds/gaushalas to take care of the animals.
Additionally, the municipal corporations have been asked to make public a telephone number and an email ID where citizens can lodge their complaints regarding stray animals.
As for national and state highways, the court directed the relevant authorities to ensure regular patrolling for the removal of stray animals.
With AIIMS, Jodhpur, making a submission before amicus curiae Priyanka Borana about stray dog menace on the campus, the court directed the Jodhpur Municipal Corporation to take immediate measures, and Jodhpur district court to ensure removal of stray animals 'on priority basis'.
The directions were passed after the court, on July 31, took suo motu cognizance of news reports on stray dog bites. Citing a report which quoted Press Information Bureau data, the court had said that there are 'alarming figures regarding dog bite cases in India' with 88,029 (2022); 1,03,533 (2023); 1,40,543 (2024) and 15,062 (January 2025) cases being reported from Rajasthan.
'This Court further finds that the stray dogs and cows have created menace not only on the city roads but also on State and National Highways, which declares these roads as highly unsafe for the citizens. The incidents due to stray dogs, cows and other such animals have increased immensely,' it had said.
The court had appointed amicus curiae and issued notices to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways; National Highways Authority of India; Department of Urban Development and Housing, Rajasthan; and the Director, Local Bodies, Government of Rajasthan, among others.
The matter has now been listed for September 8.
