New Delhi: In a significant turn in the ongoing stray dogs case, the Supreme Court on Friday, August 22, ordered both individual petitioners and organisations to deposit money for the upkeep of canine facilities.
The direction came alongside key modifications to its earlier ruling that had barred the release of stray dogs from shelters in Delhi-NCR.
Deposits for Petitioners and NGOs
A special three-judge Bench, headed by Justice Vikram Nath, directed each dog lover who has petitioned in the matter to deposit Rs 25,000, while each NGO must pay Rs 2 lakh within a week. “Each individual dog lover and each NGO that has approached this Court shall deposit a sum of Rs 25,000 and Rs 2 lakh respectively, with the Registry within seven days, failing which they shall not be allowed to appear in the matter any further. The amounts so deposited shall be utilised in the creation of infrastructure and facilities for the stray dogs,” the court ordered, as a report by Bar and Bench.
The move is aimed at curbing frivolous litigation while simultaneously raising funds for canine shelters and infrastructure. Petitioners who fail to comply with the order will be excluded from further hearings in the case.
Modified Rules on Release and Feeding
The Bench also rolled back its August 11 order, allowing picked-up stray dogs to be sterilised, vaccinated, and then released back into the same area. However, this will not apply to animals infected with rabies, suspected cases of infection, or those displaying “aggressive behaviour.”
In another directive, the court asked municipal authorities to create designated feeding spaces, while prohibiting the feeding of stray dogs on public streets. Any violation of this ban, the Bench said, would invite action.
The scope of the case has also been widened to cover the entire country. The apex court has impleaded all states and Union Territories as parties and transferred to itself similar petitions pending before high courts, with the intention of shaping a uniform national policy on the management of stray dogs.
