Animal lovers hail Supreme Court's revised verdict on stray dogs, say "had faith that the SC would rule in our favour"

New Delhi [India], August 22 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Friday revised its earlier August 11 order on stray and ordered their release following sterilisation and immunisation. Animal lovers and shelter home owners, who had been protesting against the court's previous directive, welcomed the decision and called it a "big relief" for stray dogs.
Sonali Gaba, who runs a dog shelter, hailed the apex court's order stating that they will make feeding points for dogs and help the aggressive ones once they provide legitimate proof related to it.
She stated that the aggressive dog will be confined, and if it does not have rabies, it should be released immediately.
"We had faith that the SC would rule in our favour. You can't say that any and every dog is aggressive; there should be proof. We are happy with the SC order. We are happy that the court has ruled on creating designated feeding areas for dogs. If they (dogs) are aggressive, then we will keep them in confinement. We will see their behaviour, if it does not have rabies, they do not have any problem, then they should be released after vaccinating them," Gaba told ANI.
Meanwhile, Nikunj Sharma, CEO, Mercy For Animals India Foundation said that SC has ordered that street dogs will be picked up to be sterilised and will be released back to their respective places. He informed that the apex court has listed the matter after eight weeks.
"Supreme Court today has ruled that the street dogs will be picked up to be sterilised and then released back in their respective areas. The court has listed this matter after 8 weeks," he said.
Another Protester questioned whether, if the Supreme Court had banned public feeding, there would be any other way to feed the dogs. He believed the court might have left a way to feed the dogs, which he termed a huge relief for them.
"The court said that if public feeding is stopped, then how will we feed the female dogs. They do not have any option to eat so I think they must have left some option. There must be something. I have not read the order because if they are not able to feed, then how will they survive? It is a huge relief, we cannot explain what trauma we have lived in for the last 11 days," the protestant said.
The Supreme Court clarified that stray dogs infected with rabies or showing aggressive behaviour will not be released back and will be kept separately.
"Stray dogs will be released back to the same area after sterilisation and immunisation, except those infected with rabies or exhibiting aggressive behaviour," the court ordered.
The court ordered that no public feeding of dogs will be allowed, and dedicated feeding spaces for stray dogs to be created. It ordered the MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) to create feeding areas in municipal wards.
The Court noted that animal lovers can move application before MCD for adoption of dogs.
The court expanded the ambit of its proceedings on menace of stray dogs and issued notice to Secretaries of department of Animal Husbandry all states and Union Territories and sought their response on framing of national policy to deal with the problem.
It also directed its Registry to seek information from all High Courts where petitions are pending on issue of stray dogs and orders that all such matters will be transferred to the top court.
Hailing the top court's verdict in this matter, Supreme Court lawyer and petitioner Nanita Sharma called it a "balanced order." She stated that all matters regarding dog issues pending in all courts in all states will be brought under one court.
"This is a balanced order. The court has involved all states in this case. All matters regarding dog issues pending in all courts in all states will be brought under one. They have said that regular dogs should be sterilised and aggressive dogs should be put in pounds/ animal shelters. The court has ruled that MCD will establish designated feeding areas for dogs..." Nanita Sharma told reporters.
On August 11, the top court ordered that all localities in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad should be made free of stray dogs and there should not be any compromise; it also made it clear that no captured animal will be released back on the streets.
In the detailed order it has clarified that its directive was not driven by "momentary impulse"; rather, it came after thorough and careful deliberation, and the concerned authorities have consistently failed for over two decades to address a serious issue that directly impacts public safety effectively.
A bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and R Madadev has said that it has decided to take the matter into its hands because of the systematic failure of the authorities over the past two decades to address an issue that strikes at the heart of public safety.
The bench has said that the directions given by it, as a court which functions for the welfare of the people, are both in the interest of humans as well as dogs, and "this is not personal". (ANI)