Supreme Court Modifies Stray Dog Management Orders in Delhi

Supreme Court's New Directives on Stray Dogs

On Friday, the Supreme Court issued a stay on its previous orders concerning the management of stray dogs in Delhi, which had mandated the local government and municipal bodies in Noida and Gurugram to capture and relocate all street dogs to shelters.

A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria instructed municipal authorities to ensure that the dogs are released back into their original locations after they have been vaccinated and dewormed.

Additionally, the court has prohibited the public from feeding stray dogs, emphasizing the need for designated feeding areas to be established.

On August 14, the bench had reserved its decision on appeals contesting the earlier directives from a two-judge bench.

The three-judge panel noted that the issues surrounding the stray dog population in Delhi stem from the lack of action by local authorities.

This case was brought before the three-judge bench after some lawyers informed Chief Justice BR Gavai that the orders issued on August 11 were inconsistent with prior rulings from other benches.

On August 11, Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan had ordered immediate action to relocate street dogs, instructing authorities to construct shelters for 5,000 to 6,000 dogs within six weeks and to provide a progress report within eight weeks.

The court initially addressed this matter on July 28, following reports of dog bites resulting in rabies cases in the National Capital Region.

It mandated that dogs be captured from all areas, especially those deemed vulnerable, and permitted authorities to use force if necessary for their capture.

The shelters were required to have sufficient staff to sterilize and immunize the dogs, who were not to be released back into public spaces.

“If any person or organization obstructs the capture of stray dogs, we will take action against such resistance,” the bench had warned at that time.