Concerning the vast number of stray dog death cases, the Supreme Court on 11th August has asked the authorities in Delhi to remove the dogs from the streets. The bench, consisting of judges Pardiwala and R Mahadevan, issued an order to remove the dogs as early as possible. The reasoning provided was the rising number of cases of deaths and accidents, including kids and the elderly. The number of dogs in India is more than in any country in the world, and the rising cases have been a concerning trend.
In another order passed on 14th August, the Court has reserved its hearing and declined to grant a stay on the order passed earlier. The current bench of Justice Vikram Nath, N.V. Anjaria, and Sandeep Mehta has passed the suo moto order today. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appeared on behalf of the Central government and stated the rising cases of fatalities due to stray dogs. He urged the authorities to take action, saying that it’s a matter requiring urgent intervention, and sterilisation alone cannot deal with the menace
Kapil Sibal appeared for a dog welfare NGO and has highlighted the seriousness of the matter, pushing for deeper debates and more research before jumping to any conclusion. He has also urged a stay on some rulings passed by the court in the earlier order, arguing that it was against the Animal Birth Control (ABC) rules 2023, which strictly prohibit relocation of dogs from their place of habitation. A.M Singhvi, senior advocate appearing for one of the petitioners, also argued that the 11th August ruling is against the ABC rules on dog rehabilitation, and our worst reality is the absence of enough dog shelters.
The bench headed by Justice J.B. Pardiwala was later given to Justice Vikram Nath after the Chief Justice ordered. The earlier bench has said that authorities should first focus on the vulnerable societies, especially the ones on the outskirts. It has quoted 25,201 dog bite cases in Delhi in 2024, highlighting the seriousness. The number of dogs in India is, however, unclear, and people are protesting the move as it will cause chaos and lead to social unrest.
