The Supreme Court has issued strong directions to control the menace of dog bites and rabies in the National Capital Territory of Delhi to immediately catch and sterilise stray dogs and relocate them permanently to shelters.
The Court warned that any person or group obstructing this drive will face legal action. Authorities are also allowed to use force if necessary. The Court said stray dogs must not be released into public areas once picked up. These directions came in a suo motu case, based on reports of stray dog attacks on children. The Court stated that infants and children must not fall prey to rabies, and that public spaces should be safe and fear-free.
The bench directed NCT Delhi, MCD, and NDMC to build dog shelters within 8 weeks, with proper staff and CCTV monitoring and to Keep daily records of captured dogs. It further instructed to set up a helpline within 1 week. All dog bite complaints must be acted upon within 4 hours.
Authorities must share vaccine availability details, stock status, and who is receiving them. The Court refused to accept any intervention pleas from individuals or organisations, saying public safety must come first, not sentiments. The Court also directed authorities to submit a progress report at the next hearing.
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