SC's New Stray Dogs Order: A Challenge for Implementation

Congress MP Karti P Chidambaram expressed significant concerns on Saturday regarding the Supreme Court of India's recent directive on stray dogs, which orders the establishment of feeding points and mandates that dogs be returned to their original locations post-vaccination and immunisation. In a post on 'X', MP Chidambaram highlighted the 3-judge bench decision, commenting, "This new ruling supersedes the previous order by a 2-judge bench. The situation is dire as India records the highest rate of rabies and dog bites globally."

Emphasising the widespread issue of dog bites in the country, Chidambaram questioned the practicality of implementing the Supreme Court's decision. "If executed sincerely and efficiently, the judgment might alleviate the dire situation. However, the real challenge lies in whether the authorities possess the necessary resources, manpower, and expertise to do so," he remarked. This response follows the Supreme Court's adjustment of its earlier August 11 directive, which forbade the release of stray dogs from shelters in Delhi-NCR.

In a significant amendment, a bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria decreed that stray dogs, post-sterilisation and immunisation, should be returned to their territories unless they have rabies or display aggression. Such infected dogs are to remain in shelters after treatment. The revised order, which mandates the dogs' deworming, sterilisation, and vaccination, additionally imposes restrictions on public feeding, instructing municipal bodies to designate specific feeding areas in each ward.

(With inputs from agencies.)