Jodhpur: Animal lovers in Jodhpur rejoiced on Friday after the Supreme Court in its revised order directed that all captured stray dogs be released after vaccination. The court clarified that only dogs infected with rabies will be spared from release and the entire process will be monitored by an NGO.
Animal lovers react
Animal lover Jatin Solanki told IANS, “What we were demanding for a long time has finally happened. The Supreme Court has ruled in favour of dogs. Now sterilisation drives will be carried out at a faster pace across the country. The provision of monitoring is also commendable. We want India to be free from the suffering of stray dogs like the Netherlands.”
Criticising the incomplete implementation of Animal Birth Control (ABC) in earlier years, Solanki said, “The municipal bodies had slowed down the process. The Supreme Court’s intervention was necessary. We have to seriously adopt the Netherlands model.”
Kushal Agarwal, another animal welfare advocate, said, “This decision is a great relief. Creating designated feeding spots is a good step. This will not disturb the public and will ensure proper adherence to ABC. Releasing dogs after sterilisation is a welcome step.”
Anshuman Jodha also said, “We are extremely happy with this decision. If ABC is strictly implemented, unnecessary suffering can be prevented. Now the guidelines are clear and should be implemented properly.”
All dogs in Delhi-NCR to be sent to shelters
On Friday, the Supreme Court changed its earlier directions. Earlier, a two-judge bench — Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan — had ordered the capture and sending of all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR to shelters. They had expressed concern about public safety, especially the safety of children, women and the elderly, and called it a “grave” situation.
After this order, many sections of the society protested, as it clashed with the 2024 Supreme Court order which banned the killing of stray animals and described compassion towards all living beings as a constitutional value.
What are the provisions in the new order?
A three-judge bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N.V. Anjaria directed that:
Dogs should be released in their own area after sterilization and vaccination.
Only rabies infected or highly aggressive dogs should be prevented from being released.
Designated feeding spots should be made for stray dogs and feeding in public places should be prohibited.
A uniform policy should be made across the country and all states and union territories should be included in it.
Strict legal action will be taken against any organization or individual who obstructs the process of catching dogs.
The individual dog lover and the NGO will have to deposit ₹25,000 and ₹2 lakh respectively, else they will not be allowed to participate in further hearing in the case.