NEW DELHI, AUG 12 : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday criticised the Supreme Court\u2019s directive to immediately catch and permanently relocate all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR, calling the move \u201ca step back from decades of humane, science-backed policy.\u201d He said that blanket removals of stray dogs is \u201ccruel, shortsighted, and strip us of compassion\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThese voiceless souls are not \u2018problems\u2019 to be erased. Shelters, sterilisation, vaccination and community care can keep streets safe \u2014 without cruelty,\u201d Gandhi said in a post on X. He added that public safety and animal welfare \u201ccan go hand in hand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Monday, the top court ordered civic authorities in Delhi, Noida and Gurugram to begin picking up 5,000 stray dogs from vulnerable areas within six weeks, sterilise them and keep them in shelters permanently. It also directed the construction of dog shelters within eight weeks, warned against releasing any captured dogs, and said strict action would be taken against anyone obstructing the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The bench, led by Justice JB Pardiwala, described the rise in dog bite cases and rabies deaths as a \u201cserious situation\u201d and said \u201cno sentiments of any nature can be involved\u201d in addressing the menace. \u201cInfants and young children, not at any cost, should fall prey to rabies,\u201d it observed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Animal welfare organisations have strongly opposed the order, warning that mass removals are against science, law and global best practices. \u201cCommunities think of neighbourhood dogs as family, and the displacement and jailing of dogs is not scientific and has NEVER worked,\u201d said Dr Mini Aravindan, Senior Director of Veterinary Affairs at PETA India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bharati Ramachandran, CEO of the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO), called the move \u201ca shocking judgment\u201d and cautioned that displacing stable, vaccinated dog populations could worsen rabies risk due to the \u201cvacuum effect.\u201d Both PETA and FIAPO have urged the government to focus on mass sterilisation and vaccination drives instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The order has also sparked protests. On Tuesday, Delhi Police filed a case against several animal rights activists who gathered at India Gate to demonstrate against the ruling. Officials cited security restrictions ahead of Independence Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The controversy has drawn reactions from Bollywood too, with Janhvi Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Vir Das, Varun Grover and Chinmayi Sripaada criticising the ruling on social media, some describing it as a \u201cdeath sentence for all dogs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, sources in Municipal Corporation of Delhi admitted that the capital’s current infrastructure is far from adequate to meet the target.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to sources, Delhi has no dedicated dog shelters and only 20 sterilisation centres with a combined capacity to operate on about 2,500 dogs at a time. To control the population, at least 70 per cent of the stray dog population has to be sterilised, but the present facilities will not likely allow for that target to be met, sources added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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