Move stray dogs to designated shelters: SC

The Supreme Court on Friday took note of the "alarming rise" in dog bite cases in institutional areas like educational centres and hospitals, and directed that such canines should be moved to designated shelters. A three-judge special bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N V Anjaria passed a slew of directions in the stray dogs case, including asking the authorities to ensure removal of cattle and other stray animals from highways and expressways, and their relocation to designated shelters.

The bench directed the authorities to prevent the ingress of stray dogs into the premises of government and private educational institutions and hospitals, etc., to prevent dog bite incidents.The court directed the local municipal authorities to carry out regular inspections of all premises to ensure no stray dog habitat exists. "Every stray dog is to be forthwith removed from such premises and relocated to a shelter after sterilisation," it said.

The removal should be done within eight weeks, the court said. It also noted that all states and union territories should take steps to rectify the lapses highlighted by the amicus curiae (court-appointed lawyer) in complying with the ABC rules directed by the court.According to the bench, the comprehensive affidavits must be filed before the next hearing, indicating remedial measures to rectify lapses highlighted in the report. "Any laxity will be viewed seriously," it said. The matter will be heard further on January 13.