THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, Oct 25: The Supreme Court will hear a suo motu case on stray dogs on October 27, with a three-judge special bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N.V. Anjaria scheduled to preside. Alongside the suo motu matter, four related petitions are also listed for the hearing.
The case, initially confined to the Delhi-NCR region, was expanded on August 22 to include all states and Union Territories, with the apex court seeking a uniform national approach under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules.
The court had clarified that municipal authorities must continue to pick up stray dogs in Delhi, Ghaziabad, Noida, Faridabad, and Gurugram, and immediately create shelters or pounds.
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The bench had modified an earlier directive that prohibited the release of vaccinated stray dogs, calling it too harsh. The updated instructions require that dogs, once captured, be sterilised, dewormed, vaccinated, and returned to the same area, except in cases where animals are rabid, suspected to have rabies, or display aggression.
Authorities were also directed to submit an affidavit detailing resources such as dog pounds, veterinarians, dog-catching personnel, vehicles, and cages available for compliance.
The original suo motu case, initiated on July 28 following media reports of stray dog bites causing rabies in children, had prompted widespread protests after a two-judge bench on August 11 ordered immediate relocation of stray dogs to shelters.
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The August 22 order by the three-judge bench sought to balance public safety with animal welfare while ensuring consistent implementation of ABC Rules nationwide.
