‘Nightmare For Administration’: Animal Rights Activists Disappointed With SC Order On Stray Dogs

Trustee at People for Animals India, Gauri Maulekhi. (ANI)

Animal rights activist and trustee at People for Animals India, Gauri Maulekhi, on Friday criticised the Supreme Court’s directive ordering the removal of all stray dogs from educational institutions, hospitals and public places, saying that a “sweeping order passed without hearing all parties.”

“On November 3, the Supreme Court said that they were going to pass interim directions regarding dogs in institutional areas. Today, the bench assembled, read the order and did not hear any party. We are shocked to hear the orders that were passed,” Maulekhi told ANI.

She noted that the order pertains to “the removal of dogs from certain areas” that have been “loosely defined as educational, medical or sports institutions across the country.”

According to her, the directive mandates the construction of “peripheral walls and fences within two weeks in these areas and deny the ingress of dogs and remove all dogs.”

Expressing doubts about the feasibility of the order, Maulekhi said, “I don’t see that playing out very easily in the country because there are institutions that look after hundreds of their dogs very well. Some of the larger institutions like IITs and JNU and AIIMS look after their dogs, which are neutered and vaccinated. The court has also asked for fencing to be done around bus stops and railway stations, which is going to be a nightmare for the administration.”

She added, “I would wait to read the order when it is uploaded and we will seek necessary remedies. The states would be completely incapable of executing it within two weeks for every educational institution, when some of them don’t even have classrooms… I don’t know what kind of a sterilised country we are trying to live in.”

Maulekhi pointed out that a comprehensive road map had already been submitted to the court outlining measures to prevent conflicts in institutional areas through neutering, vaccination, and responsible feeding.

“But that was disregarded today, the bench did not hear it, the amicus did not place it on record before the bench, and that is why the bench passed again sweeping directions like the ones that were passed on August 11,” she said.

Calling the development “unfortunate,” she concluded, “Without listening to all parties, just offhandedly asking for dogs to be removed is just going to aggravate the problem. While it might seem like a solution on paper, it’s going to be a nightmare in the country.”

‘Worse Than Justice Pardiwala’s Judgement’

Echoing similar concerns, animal rights activist and BJP leader Maneka Gandhi said, “This is as bad as or even worse than Justice Pardiwala’s judgement. This cannot be put into practice… If 5000 dogs are removed, where will you keep them? You need 50 shelters… But you do not have that. You need people to pick them up. What difference will removing 5000 dogs make? If there are 8 lakh dogs here, what will removing 5000 dogs change?… The question is that if this were possible, it would have been done.”

Meanwhile, BJP leader Vijay Goel welcomed the SC order in stray dogs case; saying that decision will yield good results and dogs will be relocated to shelters.

The Supreme Court has instructed Chief Secretaries of all states and Union Territories to ensure strict compliance with its order, warning that officials could be held personally accountable for any lapses. The bench further directed that a status report be submitted within eight weeks outlining the mechanisms for enforcement and monitoring.