They're Not Strays, They Are Ours

THERE is no dearth of matters of grave political and constitutional importance that the country's apex court is presently seized of.

- PON VASANTH B A

Two of the foremost being the Presidential Reference seeking clarity on the April 2025 order of a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court, fixing timelines for the President and Governors to act on bills passed by State legislatures, and the petitions related to ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar.

However, in the annals of Indian judicial history, August 2025 would not be remembered for these, but for the 10 days when an army of 'animal lovers' mounted pressure through protests and pawed the doors of the SC till three-judge bench muzzled the order issued by a two-judge bench on August 11 relating to stray dogs.

The two-judge bench, in what can perhaps be described as a moment of canine catastrophe, ordered the removal of all stray dogs, estimated to be close to 20 lakh, from the streets of the National Capital Region within eight weeks.

Inflamed by the rising numbers of dog bites and rabies deaths, especially since children and elderly are affected, the bench ordered street dogs to be rounded up, taken to shelters, vaccinated, sterilised and never to be let out again.