In order to make the streets safe and free, the court had already mandated that all stray dogs in Delhi and the National Capital Region be rounded up.
On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that its previous ruling requiring stray dogs in the Delhi-NCR region to be gathered up and relocated permanently to special shelters was “too harsh”.
In a case that infuriated dog owners and caused conflict in local communities, the court further stated that its August 11 ruling, which forbade the discharge of vaccinated dogs, had been issued without a “necessary look at the infrastructure and human resources available with the municipal bodies.”
“A holistic approach requires mollification of the directions issued (earlier),” a bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria stated. “A blanket directive to pick up all strays and place them in dog shelters without evaluating existing infrastructure may lead to a ‘catch-22 situation’ because such directions may be impossible to comply with.”
The three-judge panel changed the August 11 judgment earlier today, deciding that stray dogs might be freed from the shelters once they had been sterilized.
According to the court, there would be an exception in situations involving aggressive behavior or rabies. People were also cautioned against feeding strays in public. Each ward will have a dedicated feeding area.
The court also established a helpline that citizens could use to report infractions of its directives, which it stated all states and union territories were required to abide by. Additionally, local officials were cautioned against interfering with the collection, neutering, and release of the canines by animal advocates and others.
Animal groups and others who had criticized the August 11 verdict have praised the updated directive. Rahul Gandhi, a Congress MP, stated that the court’s changes demonstrated a “compassionate approach” that took into account the people’s safety and the welfare of the dogs.
In order to make the streets safe and free, the court had already mandated that all stray dogs in the Delhi-NCR region be rounded up. This followed assaults on women, men, and even kids. However, in response to criticism from animal advocates, the court deferred its previous decision and chose to reexamine the matter.
The court modified the order today, stating that for the time being, the Animal Birth Control (ABC) regulations must be adhered to.
Following sterilisation, the dogs must be returned to the same area, according to the regulations, which offer a set of principles for managing the stray population. The court has issued a warning against impeding these services.
In a “every dog has her day” statement, PETA India, the leading voice for animal rights, expressed gratitude to the court. Maneka Gandhi, a former Union Minister and animal rights advocate, praised the ruling as well but asked the court to clarify what constitutes “aggressive” behavior in dogs.
