Revised Order Of Supreme Court On Stray Dogs:-All About It

Supreme Court of India has put a stay on its previous directions where guidelines were issued to remove stray dogs from the streets of New Delhi. In the recent judgement by the Supreme Court has emphasised on the sterilisation and immunisation of the stray dogs rather than their permanent removal, except for dogs which have been infected with rabies or have displayed aggressive behaviour. Revised Guidelines for the Management of the Stray dogs-

As per the revised directions:-

• The Court has ordered the stray dogs to be caught, sterilised, vaccinated, and finally should be released back to the same areas, unless they could pose a public threat. The new instructions are in line with the provisions of India's Animal Birth Control (ABC) rules, which basically aims to manage the population of the stray dogs in a more humane manner.
• Also, the Court has put a ban on the public feeding of stray dogs. Instead, the public authorities have ordered to create some feeding zones in each municipal ward designated for the same purpose. Any violation of the above order shall legally punishable. 

What initiated the case:-

The Supreme Court took action in this scenario as a result of the sharp rise in the  dog bite incidents. 

In the previous order passed on August 11, the court had ordered for removal of stray dogs from areas of high-risk in the city.

• As per an official data, almost 2000 cases of dog bites are registered in Delhi on a daily basis.
• While on a national level, in the year 2024 only some 3.4 million cases were reported of dog bites, while there were 54 deaths reported which were related to rabies. The court had termed the  situation as “extremely grim.”

Emphasising on the issue of public safety, the court expressed that “infants and young children should not fall prey to stray dogs.” 

It was also recommended to establish a 24-hour helpline to report cases of dog bites, as well as ordering the dissemination of information related to the anti-rabies vaccine availability.

The population of Stray Dogs Remains Unclear

Even though the exact data over the stray dogs is not clear, the population of the stray dogs could be estimated between 800,000 and 1 million, for which the existing infrastructure of the national capital is ill equipped. 

At present there are only 20 animal control centers, where less than 5000 dogs could be housed. 

Nationwide Policy to be made-

To ensure a uniform approach, the Apex Court had decided to centralise all similar cases, so that a comprehensive national policy could be formulated. 

Backlash from the Animal Rights Groups against the earlier judgement- 

The initial 11th August judgement by the Supreme Court sparked nationwide protests from the animal rights activists. Groups including the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) strongly opposed the order. 

It was pointed out by the critics that instead of implementing the ABC rules strictly, sheltering and caring for these thousands of animals,would not provide for a sustainable and ethical solution.

Conclusion

To conclude, the Supreme Court’s revised order provides for a more balanced approach, i.e. dealing with public safety concerns while taking animal welfare into consideration as well. As a nationwide policy is in play, which shall set a precedent for a humane and effective management for stray dogs in India.

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