SC Orders Removal Of Stray Dogs From Bus Stands, Schools, Railway Stations

SC also upheld Rajasthan HC's directions that government officials and municipal authorities remove stray cattle from highways and expressways and relocate them to shelters.

The Supreme Court has ordered removal of stray dogs from public places.

Source : ANI

The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the removal of stray dogs from public places, including schools, railway stations, sports complexes, and bus stands. The top court, taking note of the "alarming rise" in dog bites, directed that the stray dogs be sent to shelters and that the process must be completed within eight weeks.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria, monitoring stray dog-bite cases through a suo motu proceeding, stated that the canines must not be released to the same place from where they were picked up.The apex court further directed that the Amicus report be recorded as part of its order.

The bench directed the authorities concerned to prevent the ingress of stray dogs into the premises of government and private educational institutions and hospitals, etc., to prevent dog bite incidents.

It also directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to launch a coordinated effort to pinpoint highway stretches that commonly see the presence of stray animals.

It further upheld Rajasthan High Court's directions that the government officials, road and transport authorities, and municipal authorities remove stray cattle from highways and expressways and relocate them to shelters. The court also asked the states and UTs to file compliance affidavits.

"All national highways will have helpline numbers for reporting stray cattle. The chief secretaries of all states will ensure strict compliance with these directives," the Supreme Court said.

The matter is fixed for further hearing on January 13.

On November 3, the Supreme Court said it would issue interim directions to address the “serious menace” of dog bites in institutional premises, particularly those where employees feed and shelter stray dogs.

The court is hearing a suo motu case it initiated on July 28, following media reports highlighting rising cases of stray dog attacks causing rabies, especially among children in the national capital.

Later, the bench broadened the scope of the case beyond Delhi-NCR, ordering that all states and Union Territories be included as parties to the proceedings.