Rajasthan High Court Issues Directives to Address Stray Animal Concerns
High Court's Initiative Against Stray Animals
The Rajasthan High Court has taken significant steps to tackle the issue of stray animals on city streets and highways by issuing comprehensive interim directives on Monday.
This action follows a directive from the Supreme Court, which instructed authorities in the Delhi-NCR region to relocate all stray dogs to permanent shelters as soon as possible.
The Jodhpur bench of the High Court, acting on its own accord, has mandated all municipal bodies in the state to initiate special campaigns aimed at removing stray dogs and other animals from public areas, ensuring minimal physical harm during the process.
Justices Kuldeep Mathur and Ravi Chirania warned that legal action would be taken against individuals or groups obstructing municipal staff in this endeavor, including the filing of FIRs under relevant laws.
Authorities have been granted full authority to act against such interference. Specifically, the Jodhpur Municipal Corporation has been instructed to promptly remove stray animals from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and district court premises, both of which are highly congested areas.
Additionally, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the state highway authority have been ordered to conduct regular patrols on highways to ensure smooth vehicular movement.
The bench has also directed municipal bodies to make public telephone numbers and email IDs for lodging complaints regarding stray animals. It advised that if citizens wish to feed or care for these animals out of compassion or religious beliefs, they should do so at designated dog shelters, ponds, or gaushalas operated by municipalities or private organizations.
The court has requested a detailed status report by the next hearing date on September 8, which should include information on the condition and maintenance of shelters, availability of manpower for animal removal, and the number of veterinarians and staff involved.