All stray animals, including dogs and cows, will be moved out public places in India.

The Supreme In a fresh verdict, the Supreme Court has ordered the removal of all stray animals from public spaces. That's not just dogs, but also cattle roaming about in educational institutions, hospitals, bus stands, sports complexes and railway stations across the country.

A three-judge special bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N V Anjaria passed a slew of directions in the stray dogs case, including asking the authorities to ensure removal of cattle and other stray animals from highways and expressways, and their relocation to designated shelters.

The bench directed the authorities to prevent the ingress of stray dogs into the premises of government and private educational institutions and hospitals, etc., to prevent dog bite incidents.

The bench went on to suggest that all such public complexes be fenced to prevent their re-entry. What's more? The top court wants this entire drive to be completed within eight weeks. The latest order comes just months after the Supreme Court had to reverse a more strict ruling that would remove all stray dogs in Delhi and surrounding areas. As per the earlier verdict, all dogs were to be taken to shelters, that are practically non-existent.

Dog mayhem in Delhi

In 2024, there were more than 25,000 reported cases of dog bites in Delhi, a sprawling megacity of 30 million people, according to government figures, but zero recorded human deaths from rabies.

The city's media, however, regularly report on attacks by stray dogs, particularly on children and the elderly, a crisis exacerbated by a lack of sterilisation programmes and legal restrictions on canine culling.

The initial order was supported by those angered at the surge of dogs on the streets.

Countrywide, there were 3.7 million cases of dog bites, and 54 recorded human deaths from rabies last year.

India, with 1.4 billion people the world's most populous country, accounts for one of the highest number of deaths from rabies worldwide.

Dog bites and scratches cause 99 percent of human rabies cases and can be prevented through dog vaccination and bite prevention, according to the World Health Organization.

In middle class neighbourhoods, many of Delhi's strays are beloved by their residents despite lacking formal owners, with some dogs clothed in special canine jackets to keep warm during the winter.

College student Aanvi Singh, 20, who also took part in a rally supporting the dogs, said the activists had "won".

"I am going to celebrate on the way with all the dogs that I meet," she said.

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