NEW DELHI: A wave of outrage swept across Delhi on Monday as animal lovers, activists, and residents gathered at India Gate to protest the SC’s order mandating the permanent confinement of all street dogs in Delhi, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, and Noida within shelter homes.
The directive, widely criticised as unscientific and inhumane, has drawn sharp condemnation from animal welfare advocates for ignoring established Animal Birth Control (ABC) rules and dismissing inputs from intervening parties.
Gauri Maulekhi, a noted animal welfare strategist, called the verdict “a death sentence for our community animals.”
She noted that despite zero human rabies deaths reported in Delhi over the past three years, the court justified its stance by citing a Western movie dialogue, disregarding scientific evidence and expert opinions.
“This is not just unscientific, it’s cruel and dangerous. If you care for street animals, now is the time to speak in one voice,” she said.
Shaurya Agrawal, Advocacy Associate at PETA India, echoed these concerns, calling the order “impractical, illogical, and illegal under the ABC rules.”
He pointed out that the government had 24 years to implement sterilisation programmes mandated by the guidelines but failed to do so effectively.
“Delhi has around 10 lakh street dogs. Housing them all in shelters is impossible and will lead to chaos. The removal of dogs itself is an act of cruelty, especially given the poor shelter conditions,” he warned, adding that PETA is exploring legal options to challenge the ruling.
A protesting resident also disputed the data cited in the court order, alleging that the figures were “inaccurate and overinflated,” and pointing out inconsistencies between reported dog bite cases and population estimates.