Following public outrage over a Supreme Court order to remove stray dogs from Delhi-NCR streets, the case was referred to a larger bench, with a hearing set for August 14.
The earlier order directed authorities to capture 5,000 dogs in six to eight weeks, relocate them to shelters permanently, and urged citizens to adopt or fund their care, rejecting “virtue signalling.”
Politicians, celebrities, and activists, including four Gandhi family members and PETA India, condemned the move as cruel and impractical, calling for scientific alternatives like vaccination, sterilisation, and community care.
The Supreme Court has formed for a larger bench of judges to hear the removal of Delhi dogs case on August 14. This comes after massive backlash to the order for the blanket "removal" of stray dogs across Delhi-NCR. A three-judge bench will be reviewing the case.
The listing came just a few hours after the issue was mentioned before the Chief Justice, BR Gavai, in open court, to which he said, “I will look into it.”
According to PTI, "The judiciary must not assume or take on the coloration of the prevailing popular sentiments of the time, for its role is not to echo the passions of the moment but to uphold the enduring principles of justice, conscience, and equity," the August 11 order, posted on the apex court's website on Wednesday, stated.
The order instructed Delhi-NCR authorities to begin collecting stray dogs from all localities "at the earliest" and relocating the animals to dog shelters.
The SC instructed the two-judge bench to begin capturing stray canines over the next six to eight weeks, with a target of 5,000. Additionally, the ruling stipulated that the canines must never be put back on the streets as detailed in the order uploaded on the SC website on Wednesday.
The bench said it is conscious of the "genuine love and care" towards stray dogs that many members of the public share and urged them to "come forward and become a part of this exercise" and to take responsibility for the care and upkeep of the canines responsibly at dog shelters or pounds.
"In light of the concerns of the interveners, we urge all to adopt and give dogs a shelter in their homes. However, we do not ascribe to the virtue signalling of all those who share love and concern for the animals," the order noted.
According to the Hindustan Times, following significant public outcry against the two-judge bench's ruling, the decision was made to submit the case to a bigger bench. Several politicians, celebrities, and animal rights advocates contended that the problem might be resolved by more scientific, long-term approaches, including vaccination, sterilisation, and community care for the strays.
Rahul Gandhi, his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, their cousin Varun Gandhi, and his mother Maneka Gandhi, one of India's most well-known animal rights advocates, were the four Gandhi family members who voiced their worries.
In a post on X, Lok Sabha leader of the opposition Rahul Gandhi wrote: “Blanket removals are cruel, shortsighted and strip us of compassion.. These voiceless souls are not ‘problems’ to be erased. Shelters, sterilisation, vaccination and community care can keep streets safe — without cruelty… We can ensure public safety and animal welfare go hand in hand."
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India also referred to the directive as "illogical, illegal, and impractical."
