Delhi Police detained around 40 animal rights activists opposing the Supreme Court’s directive to move stray dogs to shelters within eight weeks. Protesters demanded strict enforcement of sterilisation and vaccination rules instead of relocation.
New Delhi: Around 40 to 50 animal lovers and activists were detained by Delhi Police on Tuesday when they gathered at India Gate to protest against the recent Supreme Court order directing that stray dogs in the city be shifted to shelter homes within eight weeks.
The Supreme Court had on Monday described the stray dog problem in Delhi as “extremely grim” and instructed the Delhi government along with civic bodies to start picking up stray dogs and placing them in shelters immediately.
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The Court also warned that strict action would be taken against anyone who tried to stop the process.
The protesters, however, argued that simply removing stray dogs from their areas was not the right solution.
They said that the authorities should instead follow the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, which require the sterilisation, vaccination, and release of community dogs back to the same places they were found.
One protester stated,
“The reported figures on dog bite cases and rabies deaths were hugely exaggerated which created unnecessary panic.”
They pointed out that these rules were made under an Act of Parliament and are still legally valid.
The demonstrators further claimed that many media reports had made the situation look worse than it actually is. According to them, government records showed only 54 suspected rabies deaths in 2024.
They stressed that the authorities should cooperate with local dog feeders and caregivers to ensure the safety of the public rather than sending sterilised and vaccinated dogs to what they called “inhumane shelters”.
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