State orders civic bodies to remove stray dogs from public premises, set up helplines

Maharashtra mandates removal of stray dogs from public areas, creating feeding zones and ensuring compliance with Supreme Court directives for public safety.

MUMBAI: Nearly four weeks after the Supreme Court directed States and Union Territories to “forthwith” remove stray dogs from the premises of educational institutions, hospitals, sports complexes, bus stands, depots and railway stations, the Maharashtra government on Monday issued a government resolution (GR) mandating immediate compliance across all civic bodies.

State orders civic bodies to remove stray dogs from public premises, set up helplines

Further, the government has ordered all civic bodies to create designated feeding zones for community dogs and take action against residents feeding them in open public spaces outside these zones. Every local body must also set up a helpline for citizens to register stray-dog–related complaints, and hospitals have been instructed to maintain adequate stocks of anti-rabies vaccines and immunoglobulins.

An official from the Directorate of Municipal Administration, Navi Mumbai, has been appointed as the state-level coordinating authority to monitor compliance. The GR warns that civic officials failing to adhere to the Supreme Court’s directives may face personal responsibility.

The November 7 order had instructed governments to relocate such dogs to designated shelters after sterilisation and vaccination under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, framed under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. The court had also underlined public safety, emphasising the need to prevent human–dog conflicts and ensuring civic bodies remain responsible for sterilisation, vaccination, capturing and relocation.