New Delhi: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has spoken out against the recent Supreme Court order to move all stray dogs in the Delhi-NCR region to shelters within eight weeks. She warned that the move would lead to “horrendously inhumane” treatment of the animals, as there simply aren’t enough shelters to house them.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the Congress MP expressed her concern, stating, “The moving of all the city’s stray dogs to shelters within a matter of weeks is going to result in horrendously inhumane treatment of them. Enough shelters do not even exist to take them on.”
Gandhi emphasized that animals in urban areas already face ill-treatment and brutality. She urged for a more humane solution, suggesting, “Surely there is a better way to manage the situation and a humane way can be found in which these innocent animals are looked after and kept safe as well.” She concluded her post by highlighting that dogs are “beautiful, gentle creatures” who don’t deserve such cruelty.
What the Supreme Court Ordered
The Supreme Court’s directive, issued on Monday, came in response to a petition concerning the “alarming and disturbing” rise in stray dog attacks. A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan mandated that all stray dogs be rounded up within eight weeks and placed in designated shelters. The court was explicit that no captured animal should be released back onto the streets.
The court also ordered that contempt proceedings would be initiated against anyone who tried to obstruct the authorities from carrying out the drive. In addition, it directed authorities to set up a helpline for dog bite complaints, requiring that the animal in question be picked up within four hours of a complaint being registered. The bench’s statement, “Whether sterilised or not sterilised, the society must feel free and safe. You should not have any stray dogs roaming around,” underscored the urgency of the order.