New Delhi [India], August 12 : Police detained animal rights activists, rescuers, caregivers, and dog lovers on Monday, who protested in front of the India Gate against the Supreme Court order to send all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR to shelters within eight weeks.
"They don't want us to talk. These people are throwing everyone into jail. I am being detained because I do the noble work of feeding animals," said a caregiver of dogs while being detained by the Police for protesting against the SC order.
Earlier on Monday, a bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan said that all localities should be made free of stray dogs and there should not be any compromise. It also made it clear that no captured animal will be released back on the streets.
It also ordered contempt proceedings against any individual or organisation that attempts to obstruct the authorities from carrying out the capture drive.
"If any individual or organisation comes in the way of picking stray dogs or rounding them up, we will proceed to take action against any such resistance," said Justice Pardiwala.
The apex court also directed the states and municipal authorities to create dog shelters with sufficient staff to sterilise and immunise them.
"NCT Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad, MCD, NMDC shall start picking up stray dogs from all localities, particularly from more vulnerable localities. It is for the authorities to look into if they have to create a force, do it at the earliest. However, this should be the first and foremost exercise to make all localities free of stray dogs. There should not be any compromise in undertaking the exercise," said the bench.