'No feeding on roads', 'sterilise and release': Supreme Court's big order on stray dogs

New Delhi: Feeding of stray dogs will not be permitted on streets, the Supreme Court on Friday ruled as it directed the municipal authorities of Delhi-NCR to create dedicated spaces for it. A three-judge special bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath said the feeding areas have to be identified keeping in view the population and concentration of stray dogs in a particular municipal ward. "Under no conditions shall the feeding of stray dogs on the streets be permitted," the bench, also comprising Justices Sandeep Mehta and N V Anjaria, said.

The top court further directed for the installation of notice boards near designated feeding areas, specifying the area was meant to feed stray dogs. Persons found feeding stray dogs on the streets would be liable to be proceeded with under relevant legal framework. "The aforesaid directions are being issued in view of the reports regarding untoward incidents caused by unregulated feeding of stray dogs and to ensure that practice of feeding dogs on the roads and in public places is eliminated as the said practice creates great difficulties for the common man walking on the streets," it added. Each municipal authority was also ordered to create a dedicated helpline for reporting incidents of violation of the directions. The top court ordered appropriate measures against the individual or organisation concerned once complaints were received on the helpline.

The bench modified the apex court's August 11 direction prohibiting release of stray dogs from dog shelters in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR), and said the picked up canines should be sterilised, vaccinated and released back in the same area. The bench, however, said municipal authorities shall continue to comply with the direction asking them to start picking up and rounding stray dogs from all localities of Delhi, Ghaziabad, Noida, Faridabad and Gurugram. The apex court said the August 11 direction prohibiting the release of picked up stray dogs shall be kept in abeyance for the time being. "The dogs that are picked up shall be sterilised, dewormed, vaccinated and released back in the same area from which they were picked up," it said. The bench clarified this relocation shall not apply to dogs infected with rabies or suspected to be infected with rabies and those that display aggressive behaviour. The top court passed the order on the interim prayer seeking a stay on some of the directions passed on August 11 by a two-judge bench. The bench delivered its order on Friday in a suo motu case initiated on July 28 over a media report on stray dog bites leading to rabies, particularly among children, in the national capital. Widespread protests were reported across the country following the apex court's August 11 order. Later, the matter came up for hearing on August 14 before a three-judge special bench which observed the "whole problem" of stray dogs in Delhi-NCR was a result of the "inaction" of local authorities which did "nothing" in implementing the Animal Birth Control Rules on sterilisation and immunisation of canines.