‘Will activists bring back children lost to rabies?’ SC orders immediate removal of stray dogs from streets

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday came down hard on animal rights activists amid rising cases of stray dog attacks in Delhi-NCR, pointedly asking if they could “bring back children” who died from rabies. The court ordered the immediate removal of all stray dogs from the streets and their relocation to shelters after sterilisation and vaccination, PTI reported.

Hearing a suo motu case on dog bite incidents, a bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan called the situation “extremely grim” and refused to entertain intervention pleas from activists. “We can’t sacrifice our children merely because a few individuals feel they are animal lovers,” Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench, urging urgent action against what he called the “menace” of stray dog bites.

Justice Pardiwala said existing measures, including animal birth control centres, were failing. “This is a time to act. Will these so-called lovers put life back into the children who have fallen prey to rabies?” he asked. The bench also warned against people reclassifying strays as pets to bypass removal orders: “Your stray dog should not overnight become a pet dog.”

The court stressed that no stray should be seen in any locality — urban or on the outskirts — and directed authorities to carry out a citywide drive “with some force.” Mehta noted that sterilisation could not eliminate the threat of rabies. “There is no cure for rabies. We have seen videos of children dying and parents crying helplessly,” he said.

The bench said its orders were in the larger public interest, to ensure children could play and cycle safely, and senior citizens could walk without fear. It also warned of strict action against any obstruction in removing strays.

The case follows the court’s July 28 suo motu cognisance of a media report highlighting alarming dog bite and rabies figures in the capital.