NEW DELHI: Chief Justice of India B R Gavai on Wednesday assured that he would “look into” a plea seeking urgent hearing on the issue of stray dogs in the Supreme Court. The petition, filed by the Conference for Human Rights (India), was mentioned before a bench comprising the CJI and Justice K Vinod Chandran by a lawyer.
The CJI noted that another bench had already passed an order regarding stray dogs. On August 11, Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan termed the rising cases of dog bites an “extremely grim” situation and directed the permanent relocation of all strays in Delhi-NCR “at the earliest.”
The lawyer on Wednesday also referred to a May 2024 order by a bench led by Justice J K Maheshwari, which had transferred stray dog-related petitions to the respective high courts. The CJI reiterated that he would examine the matter.
The plea contends that the Animal Birth Control (Dog) Rules, 2001—requiring regular sterilisation and immunisation drives to control the stray dog population—are not being properly implemented.
In its August 11 ruling, the apex court further directed Delhi authorities to set up shelters for about 5,000 dogs within six to eight weeks, with capacity to expand over time. The bench also warned of strict action, including contempt proceedings, against any person or group obstructing the relocation process.
