The Supreme Court on Friday revised its earlier order concerning stray dogs. Previously, the court had directed that stray dogs be relocated to shelter homes outside New Delhi and prohibited from being returned to residential areas.The fresh order states that, except for dogs suffering from rabies or exhibiting aggressive behavior, stray dogs may be released back into their original areas after vaccination.
This came after a massive outrage by animal rights activists and dog lovers. Social media has been witnessing a plethora of reactions over the SC order.
Balanced order, says Rahul Gandhi
Congress leader and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi welcomed the SC ruling, calling it a balanced outlook.
“I welcome the Supreme Court’s revised directions on stray dogs, as it marks a progressive step toward balancing animal welfare and public safety. The approach is both compassionate and rooted in scientific reasoning,” he posted on X.
Maneka Gandhi calls order 'scientific'
BJP leader and animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi, who called the earlier order ‘irrational’, hailed the SC verdict. She called it a scientific judgment.
"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. The court has not defined what an aggressive dog is. This needs to be defined...It is absolutely right (order to create designated feeding areas). They (civic authority) also have to put up signboards for such designated areas...The court has stated that its ruling applies throughout the country...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,” she said while speaking to ANI.
Vijay Goel welcomes move
BJP leader Vijay Goel, who ardently participated in campaign against stray dogs, also welcomed the move, adding that MCD will continue to build shelter homes.
"I welcome the SC decision. The judgment mentions that MCD will continue its work of establishing shelter homes and sterilisation of stray dogs. The court has also said that dogs can be fed at designated spots only," he said.
Delhi Mayor hails decision
Delhi Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh also hailed the order saying the civil body will implement it as per court’s directions. He also said the demands of dog lovers have been fulfilled.
"We welcome the decision. This is a very good decision, and we will implement it 100 per cent. The dog lovers and the NGOs also wanted the dogs to be sterilised and left. The corporation already did the same. Ferocious and aggressive dogs that have developed the habit of biting should be treated and kept. The public should not face any problem. We all love street dogs and we are all dog lovers, so this is a very good decision," he said.
Other reactions
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi also welcomed SC verdict, saying the previous order was not only inhumane but also against humanity.
"I welcome the Supreme Court's order, noting that the previous order was not only inhumane but also against the humanitarian cause that everyone believes in...It was a conflict...It is important that they (stray dogs) are neutered, immunised, and have designated feeding areas. I am sure everyone will agree with this. The Supreme Court has corrected a wrong judgment given earlier," he said.
Animal rights activist Prateek Yadav said, "The Supreme Court order is for animal welfare. The order says the authorities need to focus on neutering and animal birth control. This is a very good decision and I am very happy with it."
Gauri Maulekhi, People For Animals, says, "I am very happy with the order and extremely grateful that the Supreme Court has upheld the rule of law. The feeding of dogs has been recognised by the court. Under the rules of the municipal corporation, the dogs already picked up need to be sterilised and released back."
Political Analyst Tehseen Poonawalla also hailed the Supreme Court over humane and balanced judgement.
"We are grateful to the Supreme Court for giving a humane and balanced judgement. I have 31 community dogs, which are an extended part of my family. We have vaccinated & neutered these dogs, and also allotted a space to them. Why did the population of dogs increase? The MCD failed to vaccinate and neuter the dogs. ABC is a successful program, but it was not successful in Delhi due to corruption in the MCD. We should vaccinate and neuter these animals and try to integrate them with the community. But no aggressive animal should be on the roads."
Supreme Court lawyer and petitioner Nanita Sharma says," It is a good order which clearly states that the dogs need to be released back after sterilisation. The dogs have to be looked after by the authorities. I appeal to the authorities to be a bit more humane."
A user wrote, "If a human's life is lost, no discussion follows, but if a dog gets a scratch, there's an uproar..It seems even the courts are now run by dog lovers."
"The Supreme Court modified its August 11 order to allow stray dogs to be released only after they have been sterilised and vaccinated.Theoretically, this should curb the stray dog Population, but corrupt municipal officials perform fake surgeries, inflate bills and allow unsterilised dogs to breed.The animal birth control programme fails again," another said.
A third user said, "The power of public outrage! The Supreme Court does away with its earlier verdict on relocating all #strayDogs into shelters. Is anyone surprised? Was never going to happen. Only thing is one cannot feed dogs in public places which was always the case. So nothing changes,"
"The Supreme Court has struck a balanced and compassionate approach on managing stray dogs by prioritizing their sterilization and health while ensuring public safety through regulated feeding zones.A thoughtful ruling that respects both animal welfare and community concerns," the fourth said.
