Dogs are most beautiful, gentle creatures, do not deserve cruelty: Priyanka on SC directive

New Delhi: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday said moving of all the city's stray dogs to shelters within a matter of weeks is going to result in "horrendously inhumane" treatment of them as she stressed that dogs are the most beautiful creatures who do not deserve this kind of "cruelty". Her remarks came a day after the Supreme Court directed Delhi-NCR authorities to permanently relocate all strays from streets to shelters "at the earliest". "The moving of all the city's stray dogs to shelters within a matter of weeks is going to result in horrendously inhumane treatment of them. Enough shelters do not even exist to take them on," Priyanka Gandhi said on X.

As it is, animals in urban surroundings are subjected to ill treatment and brutality, the Congress general secretary said. "Surely there is a better way to manage the situation and a humane way can be found in which these innocent animals are looked after and kept safe as well," she said. Dogs are the most beautiful, gentle creatures, they do not deserve this kind of cruelty, Priyanka Gandhi said. The top court on Monday directed all the strays to be removed and put in shelters by the Delhi government and civic bodies of Gurugram, Noida and Ghaziabad. A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan noted that there was an "extremely grim" situation due to stray dog bites resulting in rabies, particularly among children. Saying dog shelters will have to be augmented over time, the apex court has directed Delhi authorities to start with creating shelters of around 5,000 canines within six to eight weeks.