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Delhi Police detains activists, dog lovers and others for protesting against SC order on stray dogs
The protest was being held in front of the India Gate.
The Delhi Police on Monday evening detained animal rights activists, rescuers, and dog lovers protesting against the Supreme Court order to send all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR to shelters within 8 weeks, ANI reported. The protest was being held in front of the India Gate.
"We are not being allowed to protest... We want the dogs to be protected... They have no shelter homes to accommodate so many dogs. In the end, they will throw all the dogs outside Delhi, where they will die," a caregiver told ANI said while being detained by the police.
Earlier today, the Supreme Court directed that all stray dogs in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) be rounded up within eight weeks and housed in dedicated dog shelters. The court made it clear that no captured animal will be released back on the streets.
A bench of justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan, hearing a petition registered on its own motion on the “alarming and disturbing” rise in stray dog attacks, ordered contempt proceedings against any individual or organisation that attempts to obstruct the authorities from carrying out the capture drive.
Also Read | Animal protection body flags concerns, legal violations, after 'shocking' SC order on stray dogs
It also directed that authorities in Delhi-NCR must set up a helpline so all dog bite complaints can be registered, with the offending animal picked up “within four hours” of a complaint.
“Round up all stray dogs from all localities, including localities on the outskirts of Delhi, and shift them to some other place…Whether sterilised or not sterilised, the society must feel free and safe. You should not have any stray dogs roaming around,” the bench said.
‘Illogical, illegal’: PETA India reacts to SC's order
Meanwhile, animal rights nonprofit People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India termed the Supreme Court's order as "impractical, illogical, and illegal".
"Displacement and jailing of dogs has never worked. Such actions will not curb the dog population, reduce rabies or prevent bites, as dogs eventually return to their territories," said Dr Mini Aravindan, senior director of veterinary affairs at PETA India.
