PETA India Opposes SC Order On Delhi Stray Dogs, Calls For ‘An Effective Sterilisation Programme’
Responding to the ruling, animal rights group PETA India strongly opposed the blanket removal of stray dogs, calling it an "inhuman and ineffective displacement drive".
Hours after the Supreme Court ordered the immediate removal of all stray dogs from residential areas across Delhi-NCR, animal rights organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India issued a statement opposing the apex court’s ruling.
The SC on Monday directed authorities to house stray dogs in shelters, asserting that the canines will not be allowed to return to the streets. A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan directed the Delhi government and the civic bodies to shift all stray dogs to dedicated shelters. The SC bench also ordered authorities in Noida, Gurugram and Ghaziabad to take appropriate action for moving the stray dogs to shelters.
Responding to the SC order, animal rights group PETA India strongly opposed the blanket removal of dogs, warning of widespread community backlash.
"Communities think of neighbourhood dogs as family and the displacement and jailing of dogs is not scientific and has never worked. Per a population survey conducted in 2022-23, Delhi has around 10 lakh community dogs, with less than half sterilised. Forced removal of some 10 lakh community dogs from Delhi's streets will cause uproar in communities that care deeply for them and chaos and suffering for the dogs on a large scale," the organisation said in a statement posted on X.
PETA India argued that the mass removal of stray dogs will fail to curb the dog population, reduce rabies, or prevent bite incidents. It said that the displacement of these animals often leads to territorial fights, starvation and chaos.
"That's why the government has required that community dogs be sterilised since 2001, a procedure which calms them and during which time they are also vaccinated against rabies. Had the Delhi government implemented an effective dog sterilisation programme, there would hardly be any dogs on the roads today," it added.
According to PETA India, authorities should focus on the implementation of an effective sterilisation programme instead of “wasting time, effort and public resources on ineffective and inhumane displacement drives."
"Other important efforts would include a closure of illegal pet shops and breeders that contribute to animal abandonment, and encouraging the public to take in a dog in need from an animal shelter or the street," it noted.
PETA's response comes as the SC warned of strict action against individuals or organisations obstructing the process of removal of dogs.
“If any individual or any organisation comes in the way of such force picking up stray dogs and rounding them up, and if it is reported to us, we shall proceed to take strict action against any such resistance which may be offered,” the bench said.
The court also criticised animal rights activists opposing the removal of stray dogs, asking if they could restore the lives of children lost to rabies. The remarks came during a suo motu hearing initiated on July 28 on rising fatal dog bite cases in Delhi-NCR.
