SC Orders Permanent Relocation of Stray Dogs in Delhi-NCR to Shelters

Amid Rabies Concerns

- OUR CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday issued a series of binding directives to Delhi-NCR authorities to remove all stray dogs from public spaces and place them in dedicated shelters, citing what it described as an "extremely grim" situation caused by rising cases of dog bites leading to rabies, particularly among children.

A bench comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan ordered that the first phase of the plan should include the creation of shelters capable of housing approximately 5,000 dogs within six to eight weeks. "This is to be done at the earliest," the bench said, adding that facilities would need to be expanded over time to accommodate more animals.

The order applies not only to Delhi but also to civic authorities in Gurugram, Noida, and Ghaziabad. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta requested that the court's directions be extended to these areas, to which the bench agreed, warning that there must be "no compromise" in implementing the measures.