Remove strays from public places, top court tells states

The Supreme Court on Friday directed all states and Union territories (UTs) to ensure the removal of stray dogs from educational institutions, hospitals, sports complexes, bus depots and railway stations, and ruled that they cannot be released back in the same places after sterilisation, in a move that animal activists said was counter to the amended Animal Birth Control norms of 2023, and which is likely to highlight the huge shortage of shelters that will now be needed to house these animals.

- Utkarsh Anand

Terming the rise in dog bite incidents in public spaces a "matter of human safety concern", the court said permitting their return "would frustrate the very effect" of securing institutional premises.

The detailed order, issued by a bench of justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria, underlined that the "enduring menace" of dog bites across institutional spaces reflects not just municipal lapses but "systemic failure".

"The recurrence of such incidents...reflects not only administrative apathy but also a failure to secure these premises from preventable hazards," held the bench, adding that the situation "calls for immediate judicial intervention to safeguard the fundamental right to life and safety of citizens, especially children, patients and sportspersons, under Article 21." The court noted that despite the statutory Animal Birth Control (ABC) framework, amended in 2023, outcomes remained "suboptimal", citing a year-onyear rise in dog bites near or inside schools, hospitals, stadiums and transport hubs. It identified the causes as inadequate sterilisation, poor waste disposal, lack of perimeter management, and low public awareness. To be sure, ABC Rules, framed under Section 38 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, require local authorities to run ABC and anti-rabies programmes premised on catch-neuter-vaccinate-release approach.