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SC relief for strays hailed but leaves key question on ‘aggressive dogs’ open: 'Court hasn't defined'
SC on Friday said that dogs picked up under its August 11 order will be released back after shots, except with rabies or displaying aggressive behaviour.
Politicians and animal activists welcomed the Supreme Court's modified order on dogs on Friday which said strays will be released after immunisation as opposed to the previous directive of not letting them go once they are brought to shelters.
The Supreme Court on Friday said that canines picked up under its August 11 order will be released back after sterilisation and immunisation, except those suffering from rabies or displaying aggressive behaviour. Follow Supreme Court stray dogs order news updates
Welcoming the tweaked top court order, animal rights activist and BJP leader Maneka Gandhi called it a scientific judgement" but said the court has not defined what an aggressive dog is.
Also Read: SC tweaks dog order amid row: Strays back home after shots but no street feeding
“ I am very happy with this scientific judgement. Relocation and fear are the only reasons for dogs biting. There is no question of releasing dogs infected with Rabies. The court has not defined what an aggressive dog is. This needs to be defined...It is absolutely right (order to create designated feeding areas). They (civic authority) also have to put up signboards for such designated areas...The court has stated that its ruling applies throughout the country,” Maneka Gandhi said, speaking to ANI news agency.
"As per the order, the municipal corporations will have to set up proper ABC (Animal Birth Control) centres. For the first time in 25 years, the government stated in Parliament that it is allocating ₹2,500 crores for this programme," she added.
Delhi mayor Raja Iqbal Singh said the Supreme Court has taken a “very good decision”, adding that the government “we will implement it 100 per cent”.
Also Read: 5 big takeaways from Supreme Court's verdict on stray dogs in Delhi-NCR
"The dog lovers and the NGOs also wanted the dogs to be sterilised and left. The corporation already did the same. Ferocious and aggressive dogs that have developed the habit of biting should be treated and kept. The public should not face any problem. We all love street dogs and we are all dog lovers, so this is a very good decision...," he said.
Congress leader Abhishek Dutt thanked the Supreme Court for giving a “very good judgment” but added that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi is running a “big scam” by spending crores of rupees in the name of sterilisation.
“During my tenure at the Municipal Corporation, we would raise the issue in the House: how could the MCD sterilise stray dogs without staff? In the last 12-14 years, MCD has spent crores of rupees in the name of sterilisation – it was a very big scam. The dog that has rabies or is aggressive should definitely be removed. But the one is not doing anything to anyone, where will you take them?... If the Supreme Court had not taken an interest in this, there would have been so many issues in Delhi,” he said in a video shared by ANI.
