Animal lovers celebrate at Jantar Mantar after SC relief on relocation of stray dogs

New Delhi: Animal lovers broke into celebrations at Jantar Mantar on Friday after the Supreme Court modified its earlier directive on the relocation of stray dogs in Delhi-NCR, ruling that only rabid or aggressive dogs may be shifted to shelters.

The three-judge bench said healthy stray dogs should be sterilised, vaccinated and returned to their original locations, in line with the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023. It also directed civic bodies to create designated feeding areas in every ward, taking into account the concentration of street dogs.

Soon after the pronouncement, activists and caregivers who had gathered in anticipation of the verdict hugged each other and raised celebratory slogans. Some thanked God with "Har Har Mahadev".

Many described the ruling as a "victory" of compassion.

"Now we will not have to send our kids anywhere," said one of the celebrants.

"This is a historic day. The court has upheld the right way of caring for community animals. Our 'street kids' will remain with us, and we will continue to take care of them," the person said.

Another activist said the judgment brought "immense relief" to those who share a close bond with stray dogs.

"We were very anxious, but today's decision gives us hope that kindness and science will go hand in hand," she added.

For many, the judgment brought relief after days of anxiety following the court's earlier order on August 11, directing the relocation of all strays to shelters, an order that animal welfare groups said was impractical given the lack of infrastructure.

PETA India hailed the decision, urging authorities to set up adequate feeding zones and reminding the public to adopt rather than buy pets.

"Every dog has her day and today is the day for Sheru at the tea stall, Rani at the mandir steps and Moti in the society grounds," its statement said.

The group also called on citizens to remain vigilant so that community dogs are not wrongly labelled "aggressive" and removed from their areas.

Similarly, Alokparna Sengupta, managing director of Humane World for Animals India, welcomed the ruling, saying sterilisation and immunisation were "the most sustainable and humane method" of population control.

She added that the real challenge would be ensuring civic bodies implement the directions responsibly, with proper infrastructure and accountability.

The celebrations at Jantar Mantar also turned emotional for many.

Meghna Singh, a caregiver, said with tears in her eyes, "Since last night, I was very anxious, but today these are only tears of joy. I now truly realise how many people stand for these street dogs and love them."

The decision came as a major reprieve for animal welfare groups, who had opposed the earlier directive to move all strays to shelters, arguing that such facilities were inadequate to house them.