Around 40 Activists Detained For Protesting Against Top Court's Dog Order

Around 40-50 animal rights lovers, activists were detained Tuesday by Delhi Police as they gathered at India Gate to protest against the Supreme Court's order to shift stray dogs to shelter homes within eight weeks.

The top court Monday termed the stray dog menace in Delhi "extremely grim" and directed the Delhi government and the civic bodies to start picking up strays and keeping them in shelters immediately. It also warned of strict action against anyone obstructing the process.

Protesters said that removing stray dogs from their localities was not a solution and called for strict implementation of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, which mandate sterilisation, vaccination and release of community dogs back to their areas.

"The reported figures on dog bite cases and rabies deaths were hugely exaggerated which created unnecessary panic," said a protester.

They pointed out that the rules, enacted under an Act of Parliament, remain in force.

The demonstrators also claimed that media reports had sensationalised the issue, while government data showed only 54 suspected rabies deaths in 2024.

They urged authorities to work with local feeders and caregivers to ensure public safety instead of sending sterilised and vaccinated dogs to what they described as "inhumane shelters".