If the furore following the Supreme Court’s August 11 order, which directed that all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR be removed to shelters, showed a deep polarisation of attitudes, then its modification of the order on Friday is an opportunity to tackle a serious issue in a more thoughtful, scientific manner. The three-judge bench, to which the matter was reassigned after the original order was reserved, strikes a balance between established animal welfare laws and public safety concerns: Among other directions, the Court has said that while sterilised and vaccinated dogs are to be released where they were picked up from, the ones that have rabies or are suspected to have it, or display aggressive behaviour, are to remain in the shelters. The new order opens up space for tempers to calm down, so that a sustainable and humane solution to a stubborn problem may be found.
What this requires, in the first place, is an acknowledgement of, and introspection over, the reasons for the failure of the Animal Birth Control (Dog) Rules. Both a paucity of resources and a lack of will on the part of local governance have hobbled efforts to manage the stray dog population. In its order on Friday, the Court asked municipal authorities to give a full picture of the resources available, including the number of pounds, veterinarians, dog-catching personnel and cages/vehicles required for compliance with the ABC Rules. With the Court now expanding the scope of the matter to include all states and Union Territories, these hard numbers can help plug holes and be used to formulate a more realistic solution. They can help local bodies in other parts of the country, especially those that may not have the kind of resources that Delhi-NCR does, to form a clearer idea of the challenges, and develop a more targeted approach. Numbers can also help make a stronger case for why the vast community of those who care for “streeties” must be included if there is to be a lasting solution: Their help can be sought, for example, in ensuring that each dog in a locality is kept up-to-date with vaccinations, including for rabies – something that may be beyond the capacity of resource-poor municipal bodies.
That the problem of stray dogs is deeply linked to unmanaged solid waste cannot be ignored; like so many other species, such as pigeons, crows and cats, dogs too have come to depend on overflowing rubbish bins and garbage dumps for food. Tackling the trash problem can go a long way towards controlling the stray dog population. In addition to correcting other past mistakes, municipal authorities should not delay addressing this problem.
