Delhi Police Detains Activists, Dog Lovers Protesting Supreme Court’s Stray Dog Relocation Order At India Gate, PETA Criticises Directive

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The Delhi Police on Monday evening detained animal rights activists, rescuers, and dog lovers who were protesting near India Gate against the Supreme Court’s order to relocate all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR to shelters within eight weeks, ANI reported.

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“We are not being allowed to protest. We want the dogs to be protected. They have no shelter homes to accommodate so many dogs. In the end, they will throw all the dogs outside Delhi, where they will die,” a caregiver told ANI while being detained by the police.

Earlier today, the Supreme Court ordered that all stray dogs in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) must be rounded up within eight weeks and moved to designated dog shelters. The court emphasised that once captured, no stray dog is to be released back onto the streets.

The order was issued in response to a surge in stray dog attacks in the national capital and surrounding regions.

The directive came from a bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan, which was hearing a suo motu petition in response to the rising number of stray dog attacks. The court warned that contempt proceedings would be initiated against anyone or any group obstructing the capture drive. It also instructed Delhi-NCR authorities to establish a helpline to register dog bite complaints, with a mandate to capture the offending dog within four hours of each report.

“Round up all stray dogs from all localities, including localities on the outskirts of Delhi, and shift them to some other place. Whether sterilised or not, the society must feel free and safe. You should not have any stray dogs roaming around,” the bench said.

PETA India Remark On Supreme Court Order 

Meanwhile, the animal rights nonprofit People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India criticised the Supreme Court’s order, calling it “impractical, illogical, and illegal.”

“Displacement and jailing of dogs has never worked. Such actions will not curb the dog population, reduce rabies or prevent bites, as dogs eventually return to their territories,” said Dr Mini Aravindan, senior director of veterinary affairs at PETA India.

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Earlier in the day, PETA India warned that forcibly removing Delhi’s stray dogs would cause “chaos and suffering” for both animals and residents. Calling the Supreme Court’s order “impractical, illogical, and illegal,” PETA urged the government to strengthen sterilisation, vaccination, and adoption efforts instead of resorting to mass removal.

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