These central guidelines advocate for humane stray dog population control through sterilization and vaccination, followed by releasing the dogs back into their localities
Digital Desk: The Supreme Court is grappling with conflicting judgments on how to handle the rising stray dog menace in Delhi, sparking legal confusion and public debate. On Monday, a bench headed by Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan directed all stray dogs to be moved out of residential premises to shelters amid rising cases of dog bite and rabies. The bench rejected arguments of the animal welfare saying, ”Forget the rules. No sentiments. This is in the interest of the society.”
This order however conflicts with a previous adjudication set down by Justices Sanjay Karol and J.K. Maheshwari in 2024 that confirmed the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023. These central guidelines advocate for humane stray dog population control through sterilization and vaccination, followed by releasing the dogs back into their localities. The earlier bench emphasized that compassion for animals is a constitutional mandate, and indiscriminate removal or killing of strays is not permissible.
The conflicting verdicts were brought to Chief Justice B.R. Gavai's attention on Wednesday by a counsel representing petitioner Nanita Sharma. The counsel submitted that there had been a poor implementation of the ABC Rules due to which the present crisis occurred and cited that the Court had already given directions in 2024 to the Delhi authorities to respond, and the case is still pending now.
Resident Welfare Associations (RWA) have hailed the new order of relocation, while animal rights groups have raised concerns over practicality, funding, and legality. The Chief Justice has assured a relook into the issue, acknowledging the contradiction between two benches, one of which wants the strict implementation of the rule and the other has ordered the need to relocate all the strays on an urgent basis.
As the constitutional rights of animals and the lives of human beings in the society are on the line, the most relevant question that should now is, which Supreme Court verdict will ultimately apply in Delhi?
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