PETA has reacted sharply to the Supreme Court's order on stray dogs.
- The Supreme Court ordered removal of all stray dogs from Delhi and NCR immediately
- Stray dogs must be housed in shelters and not returned to the streets, court directed
- Delhi has around 10 lakh community dogs, with less than half sterilised as per 2022-23 survey
The Supreme Court's sweeping order to remove all stray dogs from Delhi and the adjoining National Capital Region (NCR) has drawn a response from animal rights groups, with PETA warning that large-scale displacement is both "unscientific" and ineffective.
The top court today directed the Delhi government and civic bodies in Gurugram, Noida and Ghaziabad to begin immediate removal of stray dogs from all localities and house them in shelters, saying the animals must not be returned to the streets.
PETA India's Senior Director of Veterinary Affairs, Dr Mini Aravindan, issued a statement questioning the effectiveness of mass removal.
"Communities think of neighbourhood dogs as family, and the displacement and jailing of dogs is not scientific and has NEVER worked. Per a population survey conducted in 2022-23, Delhi has around 10 lakh community dogs, with less than half sterilised. Forced removal of some 10 lakh community dogs from Delhi's streets will cause uproar in communities that care deeply for them and chaos and suffering for the dogs on a large scale. It will also ultimately do nothing to curb the dog population, reduce rabies or prevent dog bite incidents," the statement read.
Dr Aravindan pointed to the 2001 government requirement for sterilisation and vaccination of community dogs, which she said also has the effect of calming their behaviour. "Had the Delhi government implemented an effective dog sterilisation programme, there would hardly be any dogs on the road today," Dr Aravindam said.
"Instead of wasting time, effort, and public resources on ineffective and inhumane displacement drives, an effective sterilisation program is still the solution and urgent need. Other important efforts would include a closure of illegal pet shops and breeders that contribute to animal abandonment, and encouraging the public to take in a dog in need from an animal shelter or the street," the PETA statement read.
Calling recent incidents of dog bites "extremely grim," a bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan issued a series of binding instructions.
"We are not doing this for us, it is for the public interest. So, no sentiments of any nature should be involved. Action should be taken at the earliest," Justice Pardiwala said. "Pick up dogs from all localities and shift them to shelters. For the time being, forget the rules," he told amicus curiae Gaurav Agarwala, who suggested the steps that can be taken to address the stray dog menace.
Under the directions, the Delhi government must, within six to eight weeks, create shelter capacity for at least 5,000 dogs as an initial step. These facilities must be staffed with sufficient personnel for sterilisation and vaccination, equipped with CCTV monitoring to prevent any release, and designed to scale up in the future.
