Supreme Court On Stray Dogs: The Supreme Court on Wednesday has adjourned the stray dogs case and scheduled further proceedings for tomorrow after a day-long hearing that saw arguments from petitioners, animal welfare organisations, senior advocates and intervenors. The bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria observed that no one can read the animal’s mind when he is in a “mood to bite or not”, adding that “prevention is better than cure.”
Court Questions Current Management Approach
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioners, argued that aggressive or unruly dogs could be taken to centres for sterilisation and later released in the same area. The court responded sharply, saying the approach does not address the core safety issue. “The only thing missing is counselling dogs so they don’t bite when released,” the bench said, adding that dogs running on roads pose a serious accident risk beyond bite incidents.
When Sibal maintained that dogs usually stay within compounds, the judges disagreed. “Your information appears outdated. Roads must be cleaned of dogs. Accidents happen even without biting,” the bench reiterated.
Centre Seeks RWA Role In Gated Societies
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, suggested that Residents Welfare Associations (RWAs) should have the authority to decide whether stray dogs are allowed within gated communities. “While we are animal lovers, we are also human lovers. If someone brings a buffalo into a society tomorrow, should that be permitted if others are inconvenienced?” he asked.
Earlier Orders On Removal And Sheltering
The hearing comes amid rising dog bite cases nationwide. In November last year, the Supreme Court ordered the removal of stray dogs from educational institutions, hospitals, bus stands, railway stations and sports complexes. Authorities were directed to move the animals to designated shelters and ensure they are not released back into the same premises.
The court had also instructed municipal bodies to conduct regular inspections, warning that recurring dog bite incidents reflect administrative apathy and a “systemic failure” to secure public institutions from preventable dangers.
Delhi-Specific Directions
In July last year, the top court ruled that stray dogs in Delhi and surrounding areas must be shifted away from residential localities to shelters due to increasing rabies-related deaths. Calling the situation “extremely grim,” it warned of strict action against anyone obstructing authorities from removing stray dogs.
However, the court clarified that dogs sterilised and immunised could be released back, except those infected or suspected of rabies or showing aggressive behaviour. Municipal authorities were also directed to earmark designated feeding zones, making public feeding of stray dogs impermissible, with violations attracting strict action.
