Stray Dogs to Be Released After Sterilisation, Immunisation, Supreme Court Modifies Earlier Order

The Supreme Court on Friday significantly modified its recent, controversial order on stray dogs, ruling that canines picked up by municipal authorities must be released back into the same area after being sterilized and immunized. The new directive reverses the court’s August 11 order, which had mandated the permanent relocation of all stray dogs in the Delhi-NCR region to shelters.

A three-judge bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria passed the modified order, stating that the release policy applies to all stray dogs except those found to be infected with rabies or exhibiting aggressive behavior. “Municipal authorities shall comply… prohibition on release of strays shall be stayed. They shall be dewormed, vaccinated, etc and sent back to the same area,” Justice Nath said. Dogs with rabies or aggressive tendencies, however, “shall not be released.”

In another major directive aimed at managing human-animal conflict, the court has now prohibited the public feeding of stray dogs. Instead, it has ordered municipal bodies to create dedicated feeding spaces for the animals. “No public feeding of dogs allowed… There have been instances due to such feeding instances,” the bench observed.

The new order came after a different bench of the court had, on August 11, passed a series of stringent directions in a suo motu case initiated over rising incidents of dog bites and rabies. That order had instructed authorities in Delhi-NCR to start picking up all stray dogs “at the earliest” and move them to shelters permanently. The latest ruling by Justice Nath’s bench came while hearing pleas that sought a stay on that contentious order.

The court also reiterated that no individual or organization should obstruct the authorities in carrying out their duties related to stray dog management. It further directed that dog lovers and NGOs involved in the matter would need to deposit Rs 25,000 and Rs 2 lakh, respectively, with the court’s registrar.