‘These voiceless souls are not problems to be erased’: Rahul Gandhi on Supreme Court's order against stray dogs

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has criticised the Supreme Court’s directive to remove all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR. He said that measures such as shelters, sterilisation, vaccination and community care can keep streets safe without any cruelty towards stray dogs.

He further said that blanket removals of stray dogs are "cruel" and "shortsighted".

In a post on X, he wrote: “The Supreme Court's directive to remove all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR is a step back from decades of humane, science-backed policy. These voiceless souls are not ‘problems’ to be erased. Shelters, sterilisation, vaccination & community care can keep streets safe – without cruelty.  Blanket removals are cruel, shortsighted, and strip us of compassion. We can ensure public safety and animal welfare go hand in hand.”

 

 

 

 

His remarks came a day after the Supreme Court, citing rising dog bite incidents, ordered the complete removal of stray dogs from all localities across Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram.

Terming the situation “extremely grim”, the bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan directed civic bodies to set up shelters within eight weeks to house 5,000–6,000 dogs, with facilities for sterilisation, immunisation, and CCTV monitoring to prevent escapes. The Court also ordered that the dogs be moved to far-off areas in public interest.

The order requires authorities to maintain daily records of all dogs captured and detained, ensure that none are released, launch a helpline within a week to report dog bites, and publish details about rabies vaccine availability and stocks.

“MCD, NDMC and appropriate authority of Noida and Gurugram, all authorities are directed to maintain record of daily stray dogs captured and detained. However, what is important, and without which the entire exercise would go futile, not a single stray dog should be released and if we know that this has happened, we will take stern action,” the Court said.

The decision marks a shift from the earlier capture–neuter–release approach to a capture–shelter–retain system, effectively removing stray dogs from public life.

For apartment owners, this means no longer being required to feed stray dogs in designated areas, reduced liability in dog bite cases, and greater safety within residential premises. Feeding stray dogs in public or common areas will no longer be relevant as captured dogs will not be returned to the locality.

The Court noted that disputes between residents and dog feeders are likely to reduce, as will the number of dog bite incidents, once all strays are removed. Until shelters are fully operational, RWAs have been asked to report stray sightings to the helpline once it becomes active and to put up notices warning residents not to obstruct removal operations.

Those who hide dogs, block municipal staff, or retrieve captured dogs from shelters could face criminal proceedings or contempt of court. The matter will be heard again after six weeks.