Protestors rally at Jantar Mantar against SC order on relocating stray dogs

Demonstrators said the directive conflicts with ABC Rules 2023 and complained of RWAs misusing it while shelters remain scarce and overstretched.

Scores of people gathered at Jantar Mantar on the afternoon of November 19 to protest the Supreme Court’s recent order that allows removal of stray dogs from their natural habitat, including from educational institutions and hospitals, after vaccination and sterilisation. Protestors said the order violates the Animal Birth Control Rules 2023, which require that dogs be released in the same locality from where they are captured.

Activists alleged inflated bite statistics and raised concerns about RWAs forcibly seizing dogs with metal wires before official teams arrive. (PTI)

Protestors said the court’s direction unfairly penalises all stray dogs instead of focusing on aggressive animals alone. “The general rule is that you put the guilty in jail, not the entire population. But here instead of putting the few aggressive dogs inside, the apex court has asked the entire stray dog population to be removed from their natural habitat,” said 24 year old postgraduate student Shruti Sethi, who skipped her classes to join the protest.

The Supreme Court bench of justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria on November 7 instructed all States and Union Territories to remove stray dogs from educational campuses, hospitals, bus stands and railway stations and relocate them to designated shelters after sterilisation and vaccination. The court said it had “consciously directed the non release of such stray dogs to the same location from which they were picked up, as permitting the same would frustrate the very effect of the directions issued to liberate such institutional areas from the presence of strays dogs.”

Protestors held placards that read “Stray Dogs Are Part of Our Streets, Our Stories, Our Soul,” “MCD Ignored it for years. Animals Are Paying the Price” and “Street Dogs are Territorial their Streets are their Homes.” They shouted slogans such as “No dog, no vote.”

Several participants said the order was passed without hearing their side and alleged this went against principles of natural justice. They said the outcome was secondary but that they should have been allowed to present their case. “We had the country’s best lawyers on our side armed with evidence, data, and scientific findings to voice the issue of the voiceless stray dogs. But we weren’t heard. It’s order not judgement,” said animal rights activist Ambika Shukla.

One of the petitioners who opposed the order said the court did not hear all parties. “All the stakeholders have not been heard. Even my special leave petition and contempt petition have been not heard,” said Supreme Court advocate and animal activist Nanita Sharma. She said the judgement relied on a news report without adequate evidence and that the data on dog bites was inflated.

Protestors also alleged misuse of the order by some resident welfare associations. They said stray dogs were being removed without cause and that existing shelters were few and in poor condition. They added that dogs were social beings who cannot be caged without distress. “I came across some videos where stray dogs are being picked up by RWAs instead of waiting for the dog capturing team to arrive, these association members are catching them with thin metal wire or hook, which is scaring their neck,” said 31 year old Mohak Kohli, who has been feeding stray dogs since 2012.