Poonam Nath

Supreme Court reserves order on plea against stray dog removal in Delhi-NCR

Digital Desk: The Supreme Court held off its ruling on petitions contesting a previous order to place stray dogs in shelter homes in the Delhi-NCR area on Thursday.

The case was heard by a three-judge panel made up of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N V Anjaria.

The bench noted during the hearing that the reason for the ongoing problem was "inaction by authorities" in upholding the law as it stands. The Parliament sets up laws and regulations, but they are not adhered to. "Local authorities are not carrying out their duties effectively," the court said.

The case is related to an order issued on August 11 by a two-judge panel consisting of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan, which instructed local authorities to start collecting stray dogs "as soon as possible" and taking them to shelters.

Following a suo motu case on stray dog bites and rabies incidents, authorities have been instructed to create specialized dog shelters and report their progress within eight weeks, ensuring that the animals remain in shelters rather than being released back into public spaces.