New Delhi, Nov 7: The Supreme Court on Friday took serious note of the “alarming rise” in dog bite cases across institutional areas, including educational centres and hospitals, and directed that stray dogs in such areas be shifted to designated shelters.
A three judge special bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N. V. Anjaria issued a set of directions aimed at addressing the growing menace of stray animals. The court instructed authorities to ensure that all stray canines and cattle are removed from highways, expressways, schools, and hospitals, and relocated to appropriate shelters.
The bench emphasized that “stray dogs picked up from institutional areas should not be released back into the same locations.” It further directed authorities, including the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), to conduct joint drives to identify highway stretches where stray animals are frequently spotted.
The matter has been listed for further hearing on January 13.
Earlier, on November 3, the apex court had indicated that it would issue interim directions to address the “grave menace” of dog bites, especially in institutional zones where feeding and sheltering of stray dogs by staff members have become common.
The suo motu case was initiated on July 28 after media reports highlighted several incidents of children being bitten by stray dogs and developing rabies in the national capital. The Supreme Court has since expanded the scope of the matter to include all states and Union Territories.