Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday reacted to the Supreme Court’s directive to remove all stray dogs from the Delhi-NCR region, calling it “a step back from decades of humane, science-backed policy.” ‘Blanket removals cruel’: Rahul Gandhi on SC stray dog order.(PTI File)

The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said, the animals were “not problems to be erased” and urged authorities to adopt shelters, sterilisation, vaccination and community care to ensure public safety without cruelty.

In a post on ‘X’, Rahul Gandhi wrote, “The SC’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,” the post further read.

The Supreme Court’s recent directive to remove all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR within eight weeks has sparked a sharp divide in public opinion. While some have welcomed the move as a “relief,” others have criticised it, warning it could worsen human-dog conflict and terming it “illogical.”

What SC order said

The top court’s order mandates that the canines be picked up from the streets and housed in shelters to be created by the relevant authorities.

“Round up all stray dogs from all localities, including localities on the outskirts of Delhi, and shift them to some other place…Whether sterilised or not sterilised, the society must feel free and safe. You should not have any stray dog roaming around,” the bench told Delhi government, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and authorities in Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurugram .

A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan, while hearing a petition initiated on its own over the “alarming and disturbing” increase in stray dog attacks, has also ordered contempt proceedings against any person or group obstructing the capture drive.

The apex court also directed authorities in Delhi-NCR to establish a helpline for registering dog bite complaints, with the offending animal to be picked up “within four hours” of a report.

SC’s stray dog order draws mixed reactions

Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta backed the apex court’s decision, saying the stray dog menace had reached “gigantic” proportions and promising a “planned and systematic” policy to tackle the problem in line with the Supreme Court’s directions.

City’s mayor Iqbal Singh also expressed support for the court’s directive, saying, “I welcome Supreme Court’s order as the people of Delhi were facing a lot of problems. We will try our best to implement this order in the next 6 weeks. We don’t have shelter homes, but we have 10 operational sterilisation centres. We can make temporary and permanent shelter homes.”

“MCD and the Delhi government will ensure that no one faces problems due to stray dogs. We will make an action plan after holding meetings with our officers,” he added, reported news agency ANI.

However, Animal rights organisations have strongly opposed the move. The India wing of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) called the order “impractical, illogical, and illegal.”

The organisation also warned that forcibly removing Delhi’s community dogs would cause “chaos and suffering” for both the animals and residents.