CJI to Review Urgent Plea on Stray Dogs; Existing Orders Noted

New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI) — Chief Justice of India B R Gavai assured on Wednesday that he would address the issue when a plea concerning stray dogs was presented for urgent consideration in the Supreme Court.

The petition, filed by the Conference for Human Rights (India), was brought before a bench comprising the Chief Justice and Justice K Vinod Chandran by a lawyer. Another bench has already issued an order regarding stray dogs, the CJI noted.

On August 11, Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan acknowledged that incidents of dog bites had created an "extremely grim" situation, leading them to order a swift permanent relocation of all stray dogs in the Delhi-NCR area.

During the Wednesday session, the lawyer referenced a May 2024 order from a bench headed by Justice J K Maheshwari, which had directed that petitions relating to stray dog issues be transferred to the respective high courts. The CJI gave his assurance that he would review the matter.

The petition by the Conference for Human Rights (India) contends that the Animal Birth Control (Dog) Rules, 2001, which require regular sterilisation and immunisation of stray dogs to control their population, are not being followed. In its August 11 judgment, the apex court additionally instructed that dog shelters should be expanded in the coming years, directing Delhi authorities to start with the creation of shelters for around 5,000 dogs within six to eight weeks.

The bench also cautioned against any interference in the relocation initiative, stating that such actions could lead to contempt proceedings and warned of strict measures against individuals or organisations responsible.

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