New Delhi, 22 August

The Supreme Court on Friday modified its 11 August direction prohibiting release of stray dogs from dog shelters in Delhi-NCR, and said the picked up canines be sterilised, vaccinated and released back in the same area.

A three-judge special bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath made clear that this relocation shall not apply to dogs infected with rabies or suspected to be infected with rabies and those displaying aggressive behaviour.

The bench, also comprising Justices Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaraia, said the 11 August direction prohibiting release of stray dogs from dog shelters shall be kept in abeyance for the time being.

The bench directed the municipal authorities to create dedicated feeding space where people can feed stray dogs.

It said the feeding areas shall be created by civic bodies keeping in view population, concentration of stray dogs in particular municipal ward.

The bench made it clear that feeding of stray dogs shall not be permitted on the streets.

It said notice boards shall be placed near designated feeding areas mentioning that stray dogs shall only be fed in such areas.

It said persons found feeding stray dogs on the streets shall be liable to be proceeded with under relevant legal framework.

Expanding the scope of the matter pan-India, the bench impleaded all the states and Union Territories as parties in the matter and transferred to itself the pleas pending before different high courts on the issue of stray dogs.

It posted the matter for hearing after eight weeks.

The bench passed the order on the interim prayer seeking a stay on the 11 August direction.

The top court delivered its order in a suo motu case initiated on 28 July over a media report on stray dog bites leading to rabies, particularly among children, in the national capital.

A two-judge bench of the apex court had on 11 August passed a slew of directions, including ordering the authorities in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad, to start picking up stray dogs from all localities "at the earliest" and relocate the canines to dog shelters.