New Delhi: All government and private institutions as well as public spaces such as bus depots and railway stations must be properly fenced to prevent the entry of stray dogs, the Supreme Court ordered Friday as it took note of “alarming rise” in dog-bite cases across the country.
The chief secretaries of all states and Union Territories were tasked with ensuring strict compliance with these directions.
In a related directive, the Supreme Court reaffirmed the Rajasthan High Court’s orders mandating the immediate removal of stray cattle and other animals from highways and expressways.
“The state governments and Union Territories shall within a period of two weeks identify government and private educational and health institutions and ensure that the premises are secured with fences, etc., to restrict the ingress of stray dogs,” a three-judge bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N.V. Anjaria directed.
It further mandated that each institution appoint a nodal officer responsible for the upkeep of the premises, while local bodies or panchayats must inspect such sites at least once every three months.
Feeding stray dogs in offices is a violation of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, the bench reiterated.
The apex court had earlier expressed concern over reports of government employees feeding stray dogs within office premises, terming such acts a violation of previous orders requiring designated feeding zones for canines. The bench reiterated that the removal and relocation of stray dogs must be carried out in accordance with the ABC Rules
The directions came during the ongoing suo motu proceedings on stray dog management.
Strays captured from institutional premises should not be released back into the same locality, the SC clarified. “Permitting the same would frustrate the very purpose of liberating such institutions from the presence of stray dogs.”
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Cattle removal
As for stray cattle and other animals found on highways and expressways, the top court instructed the public works department, the municipal bodies, and the road and transport authorities to jointly undertake a coordinated drive to clear animals from all major roads.
“We have directed that the directions issued by Rajasthan HC are reaffirmed to the extent that the public works department, the municipal authorities, the road and transport authorities remove cattle from highways and expressways and immediately rehabilitate them in shelters,” the bench ordered. “All National Highways shall have helpline numbers to report presence of stray animals.”
Strict compliance
The bench cautioned that officers would be held personally responsible for any lapses and directed that compliance reports be submitted within eight weeks, detailing mechanisms adopted to enforce the orders.
Earlier, the bench had summoned chief secretaries after several states failed to file affidavits on the implementation of the ABC Rules. With these fresh directions, the apex court has sought to enforce a coordinated national policy to manage the stray animal population and safeguard public spaces from recurring dog and cattle-related hazards.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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