**Supreme Court Urged for Urgent Hearing on Stray Dog Issue**
In a significant development regarding the ongoing stray dog situation, a petitioner has approached the Supreme Court with an urgent request for an immediate hearing. This plea comes in response to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) announcing plans to start capturing stray dogs from Friday. The Supreme Court bench has already reserved its interim order on the matter, while a related petition is set to be heard on Friday by a bench led by Justice Vikram Nath.
When the petitioner raised the issue, the Supreme Court advised that it should be presented before the appropriate bench the following day, stating, “We cannot interfere when the judgment is reserved.”
On August 11, the Supreme Court had instructed authorities in the Delhi-NCR region to capture, sterilize, vaccinate, and permanently relocate all stray dogs to shelters within a timeframe of six to eight weeks. This directive was issued in light of increasing incidents of dog bites and rabies, particularly affecting children and the elderly. The justices emphasized the importance of ensuring that “infants and children can move freely without fear of being bitten by stray dogs.”
The court outlined a five-point directive, mandating that the authorities in Delhi, Noida, and Gurugram establish shelters equipped with CCTV monitoring, begin the collection of 5,000 stray dogs from vulnerable areas within six weeks, and ensure that none of the dogs are released back into the community after sterilization.
However, this ruling has faced considerable backlash from prominent animal welfare organizations. Experts have expressed concerns that removing dogs from their territories could lead to chaos on the streets, undermine rabies control efforts, and conflict with both Indian law and international best practices.
As the situation unfolds, the implications of the Supreme Court’s directives and the response from animal welfare advocates will be closely monitored.
**FAQ**
**What is the Supreme Court’s directive regarding stray dogs?**
The Supreme Court has ordered the capture, sterilization, vaccination, and permanent relocation of all stray dogs in the Delhi-NCR region within six to eight weeks, emphasizing the need for safety, especially for children and the elderly.
