Relocate stray dogs and animals from institutional areas, highways, says SC

 

 

 

 

TAKING note of the “alarming rise” in dog bite incidents within institutional areas like educational institutions, hospitals and railway stations, the Supreme Court on Friday directed the forthwith relocation of stray canines to designated shelters after due sterilisation and vaccination.

 

A three-judge special bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N V Anjaria also said the stray dogs so picked up shall not be released back in the place they were picked up from. The bench also directed the authorities to ensure the removal of all cattle and other stray animals from State Highways, National Highways and expressways. It said the recurrence of dog bite incidents within institutional areas, including sports complexes, reflected not only administrative apathy but also a “systemic failure” to secure these premises from preventable hazards.

 

“The situation calls for immediate judicial intervention to safeguard the fundamental right to life and safety of citizens, especially children, patients and sportspersons, under Article 21 of the Constitution of India,” the bench said. It passed a slew of directions in the suo motu case over the stray dog menace. It said the primary objective is to safeguard the fundamental right to life and safety of citizens, particularly children, students, patients and sportspersons, while ensuring compliance with the principles embodied in the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, framed under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. It said after Independence, despite significant advances in public health, India continues to report one of the world’s highest statistics of rabies-related mortality.