The top court mandates the quick capture of Delhi-NCR stray dogs

Within eight weeks, Delhi officials must construct dog shelters with adequate personnel and CCTV surveillance, and they must also ensure that no dogs are released once they have been sterilised. Within six weeks, authorities are required to start collecting 5,000 stray dogs, beginning in areas that are susceptible, and they will take severe measures against anyone who tampers.

Authorities in Delhi, Noida, and Gurugram are required to maintain a daily log of all stray dogs that are apprehended and kept in captivity; if this regulation is broken, severe consequences would follow.  In the event of a dog bite or rabies, a helpline must be established within a week, and officials must arrive within four hours to remove the dog, sterilize it, and refuse to let it go.

The Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of a news story in late July that detailed the startling increase in rabies cases and deaths in and around Delhi, especially among youngsters and the elderly, as a result of stray dog bites. The matter was deemed “deeply disturbing” by the court, which also noted that city officials had failed to maintain control of the situation.