Stray Dogs: Demand for a stay on the order to catch stray dogs; Court said- the reason for the problem is the inaction of the officials.

The Supreme Court on Thursday said that the entire problem of stray dogs in Delhi-NCR is due to the inaction of the local authorities. Also, the Supreme Court reserved its decision on the interim petition seeking a stay on the directions of the apex court given on August 11. Hearing the case on Thursday, a three-judge bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath said, "The whole problem is due to the inaction of the local authorities." A bench of Justice Sandeep Mehta and Justice NV Anjaria said that whoever has approached the apex court and filed an intervention petition will have to take their responsibility.

Earlier, given two conflicting decisions of different benches of the Supreme Court on the issue of stray dogs, Chief Justice (CJI) Justice BR Gavai had handed over the matter to a larger bench. A bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan had on August 11 ordered the removal of all stray dogs from the streets of Delhi-NCR. The bench had said that all areas should be freed from stray dogs, and no compromise should be made. This order evoked a sharp reaction among animal lovers across the country.

Lawyer Nanita Sharma raised the matter before the bench of CJI Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran. Said, two benches of the apex court have given conflicting verdicts in this matter. The CJI said, I will consider it. Sharma requested an early hearing of the case, referring to the petition of the Conference for Human Rights (India) organization. The organization has challenged the High Court order in a PIL seeking directions for the sterilization and vaccination of stray dogs in Delhi.

This is how the orders of the apex court are mutually contradictory.

There is a previous decision of the bench of Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice Sanjay Karol, which states that dogs cannot be killed indiscriminately under any circumstances. There should be compassion towards all living beings. Justice Maheshwari had said that the administration will have to take action in the spirit of the existing laws.

A bench of Justice Pardiwala and Justice Mahadevan has ordered the transfer of stray dogs to shelters in Delhi-NCR.

In another order of Justice Maheshwari's bench in May 2024, the petitions related to this issue were sent to the respective High Courts.

Animal lovers consider the order unscientific and cruel.

Animal lovers are angry after the order of Justice Pardiwala's bench. Former Union Minister Maneka Gandhi, Bollywood actors like John Abraham, and Janhvi Kapoor expressed displeasure over the decision and termed it unscientific and cruel. A video of a scuffle between lawyers and animal lovers outside the Supreme Court against the decision also surfaced. The Indian unit of PETA, an international organization working for animal rights, also disagrees with it.