Dog lovers, NGOs to deposit money for moving court, amount to be used for creating infra: SC

New Delhi | The Supreme Court on Friday asked "dog lovers" and NGOs, which moved against the order of permanent relocation of strays in Delhi-NCR, to deposit Rs 25,000 and Rs 2 lakh, respectively, within a week for being heard in the matter.

A three-judge special bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath said the money should be utilised for creating infrastructure and facilities for stray dogs under the aegis of the respective municipal bodies.

"Each individual dog lover and each NGO that have approached this court shall deposit a sum of Rs 25,000 and Rs two lakh respectively with the registry of this court within a period of seven days, failing which they shall not be allowed to appear in the matter any further," the bench, also comprising Justices Sandeep Mehta and N V Anjaria, said.

Many NGOs and individual persons moved the apex court seeking a stay of some of the directions passed on August 11 by a two-judge bench of the top court.

On Friday, the three-judge bench delivered its order in a suo motu case initiated on July 28 over a media report on stray dog bites leading to rabies, particularly among children, in the national capital.

The bench said desirous animal lovers shall be free to move application to the concerned municipal bodies for adoption of stray dogs upon which the identified canine shall be tagged and given in adoption to the applicant.

"It shall be the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the adopted stray dogs do not return to the streets," it said.

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

The bench, however, said municipal authorities shall continue to comply with the direction asking them to start picking up and rounding stray dogs from all localities of Delhi, Ghaziabad, Noida, Faridabad and Gurugram.

The apex court said the August 11 direction prohibiting the release of picked up stray dogs shall be kept in abeyance for the time being.

Widespread protests were reported across the country following the apex court's August 11 order.