The Supreme Court on Friday directed that individual petitioners and NGOs involved in the ongoing stray dogs matter must deposit Rs 25,000 and Rs 2 lakh respectively with the court registry. The bench clarified that the sums must be paid within seven days, failing which the petitioner or intervenor will not be allowed to appear further in the case.
The court specified that the funds collected will be used to build infrastructure and facilities for stray dogs, implemented through municipal bodies. This measure is aimed at ensuring that legal interventions in the case lead to practical welfare on the ground.
Advocate Vivek Sharma, appearing for the petitioner, clarified that these penalties do not apply to ordinary citizens. “The observation (of imposing fine of Rs 25,000 and Rs 2 lakh in the order) is meant for NGOs and intervenors who intervened in the suo motu matter, not for common people. The purpose of it can be understood by going through the order. These funds will be used for the welfare of dogs,” Sharma explained.
Top Court Revises Order
In a related development, the Supreme Court modified its earlier directives on stray dogs in Delhi-NCR, expanding their scope nationwide. The revised order allows stray dogs to be released back to their original areas after sterilisation, vaccination, and deworming. However, feeding stray dogs in public places has been strictly prohibited, with civic bodies instructed to create designated feeding zones in every municipal ward.
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Other highlights of the revised order include:
- Rabid or aggressive dogs must be quarantined and kept in shelters, not released.
- Citizens and animal lovers are encouraged to adopt stray dogs, but adopters will bear full responsibility to ensure they are not returned to the streets.
- All states and union territories have been impleaded as parties, and pending cases in High Courts on similar issues have been transferred to the Supreme Court to enable a uniform national policy.
