New Delhi: Delhi’s dog-rescuers’ moment to voice their anger against the Supreme Court’s Friday ruling on stray dogs was short-lived.
A crowd at Gate 1 of Palika Bazaar in Connaught Place had barely begun to gather when the Delhi Police dispersed them, citing lack of permission.
In August, the court had ordered all street dogs in Delhi-NCR to be moved to animal shelters. Friday’s ruling extends that order nationwide. The court has directed states and Union Territories to remove stray dogs from public places—including schools, hospitals, bus stands, and railway stations—and relocate them to shelters within two weeks. The order prohibits re-releasing the dogs back to their original territories.
The August decision had triggered massive protests in Delhi, with thousands rallying for the city’s street dogs.
At Palika Bazaar, Poorvi from Pitampura fought back tears as she described her fear that the dogs she cares for “are all going to be slaughtered”.
“We were told [after the August ruling] ABC rules would be followed on humanitarian grounds. We were putting efforts into sterilising all street dogs…spending Rs 3000 on each. I even sold my own jewelry to do this,” said Poorvi.
This ruling has caused great concern amongst dog-lovers in the city and the country at large.
Sakruddin, from Shastri Park in northeast Delhi, cares for over 3,000 dogs in a two-kilometre radius with community help. “The ruling must have been given with some thought but the requisite facility should also be made available. The government isn’t even able to provide facilities for human beings, just go see the sorry state of hospitals,” he said.
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‘Give us the responsibility’
Given the minimal infrastructure and manpower available for dogs, animal-lovers have been unilaterally managing their welfare issues. They question how the state will manage what they believe are the 1 million street dogs of Delhi.
The ruling’s language talks of moving the dogs to a municipal animal shelter in two weeks. But given the minimal consultation, complete lack of preparation and logistic capacity—dog-rescuers are fearing the worst.
Most rescuers are willing to consult with the authorities on attending to what even they say is an animal population control problem.
“The ABC program has failed. There is enough funding but it hasn’t been utilised in the right direction,” said Madhu from Safdarjung Enclave.
“If the government had done their job then I don’t think so many people would be here protesting. The number itself speaks for the fact that there has been a major failure,” she added.
A common refrain from the rescuers is that they are ready to take on this municipal responsibility. “Pass a decision to give us designated spaces in each area, say a park—we will manage the maintenance, hygiene, and required treatments at our own expense. Just listen to us, talk to us,” said Poorvi.
The author is an alumnus of ThePrint School of Journalism.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)