NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court’s latest ruling on the treatment of stray dogs has been welcomed as a step forward by animal rights activist and BJP leader Maneka Gandhi, who described it as a “scientific judgement.” The court on Friday modified its earlier order barring the release of stray dogs in Delhi-NCR and directed that the canines, once sterilised, vaccinated and dewormed, be returned to the areas they were picked up from.“I am very happy with this scientific judgement. Relocation and fear are the only reasons for dogs biting. There is no question of releasing dogs infected with rabies,” Gandhi said, hailing the court’s directions. However, she also flagged the absence of a clear standard for identifying dangerous canines. “The court has not defined what an aggressive dog is. This needs to be defined,” she added. The bench, led by Justice Vikram Nath, clarified that dogs suspected to be rabid or showing aggression would not be released back onto the streets, but instead kept in shelters after sterilisation and immunisation. The court also ordered municipal bodies to create designated feeding areas in every ward, with signboards to indicate where dogs may be fed. “It is absolutely right (order to create designated feeding areas). They (civic authority) also have to put up signboards for such designated areas,” Gandhi remarked.The ruling comes after widespread protests against the Supreme Court’s August 11 directive to permanently round up stray dogs across Delhi-NCR. The backlash prompted the bench to suspend the earlier restriction, while broadening the scope of the case nationwide to shape a uniform policy. Gandhi pointed to the government’s commitment to strengthening animal control mechanisms, noting, “As per the order, the municipal corporations will have to set up proper ABC (Animal Birth Control) centres. For the first time in 25 years, the government stated in Parliament that it is allocating Rs 2,500 crores for this program.”
