Calling the stray dog situation in Delhi “extremely grim,” the Supreme Court on Monday directed the Delhi government and civic bodies to immediately begin removing stray dogs from all localities and housing them in shelters.bite
A bench comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan ordered the creation of shelters capable of accommodating around 5,000 stray dogs, staffed with enough personnel to sterilise and immunise them. The court stressed that the animals must remain in shelters and not be released back into streets, colonies, or public spaces.
The bench warned that strict action would be taken against any individual or organisation obstructing the removal of stray dogs by authorities. “We are issuing these directions keeping larger public interest in mind,” the court stated, emphasising that infants and young children must be protected from potentially fatal dog bite incidents leading to rabies.
The court also ordered the establishment of a helpline within a week to ensure that all dog bite cases are reported immediately.
These directions follow the Supreme Court’s suo motu cognisance on July 28 of a media report detailing a fatal dog bite incident in Delhi that resulted in rabies.
