Animal rights supporters and pet owners took their protest against the recent apex court ruling directing the shifting of stray dogs in Delhi-NCR to permanent homes for eight weeks. The demonstrations formed part of similar protests in the national capital to address national concerns toward street animals.
Voices on the Streets
Protesters carried poster boards that read “Save Delhi Dogs” and “Their Lives Matter” and often had pictures of stray dogs printed onto them. Several were seen carrying puppies, as well as adult dogs, highlighting the emotionalization of their causes.
The protests were on the same evenings as gatherings near India Gate in Delhi Saturday evening, where demonstrators opposed the Supreme Court order which has sparked and kindled debate across countries.
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Legal Tensions in Delhi
In those FIRs registered, protests were declared unauthorized by the Delhi police on August 11 and 12, the very dates on which they made proclamation orders under limits of Section 163 of BNS, for Independence Day security measures.
According to the police, attempts to disperse demonstrators led to some tensions where some individuals were detained for refusing to vacate protest sites. Thus, during August, protests directly referred to some instances of arrest within the month.
Supreme Court Intervention
The captured animals should not be released back onto the streets; rather, the Supreme Court directed authorities managing the states to clear unlicensed dogs from Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad.
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A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria reserved judgment concerning petitions meant for staying the order, claiming an interim would follow after hearing all parties.
Arguments and Counterpoints
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Delhi government, went on to say that the protests were just a “loud vocal minority,” thus claiming that the “silent suffering majority” supported this order. He justified the measures taken in public interest, adding that sterilization and vaccination efforts against rabies had not removed incidences of child injuries resulting from injuries caused by rabies.
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However, lawyer Kapil Sibal, senior advocate representing an NGO, wondered whether the municipalities have provided adequate shelter homes. He urged the court to reconsider the directive that does not allow sterilized dogs to return to communities.
Implementation Difficulties
The bench then stated that the local authorities failed to properly implement the Animal Birth Control Rules, and Justice Nath further commented, “Rules and laws are framed by Parliament, but they are not followed.
Local authorities are not doing what they should be doing.” Hence, according to the court, its August 11 order was based on decades of inaction considering both public safety and animal welfare.
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