Protests erupt in Chennai against Supreme Court's order to move stray dogs to shelters in Delhi-NCR

Chennai: Animal lovers and rights activists staged a protest in Chennai on Sunday against the Supreme Court's order directing that all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR be moved to shelters within eight weeks.
The protests in Chennai came days after similar demonstrations in the national capital.
On Friday, Delhi Police registered four FIRs in connection with protests held by dog lovers without prior permission on August 11 and 12 in the New Delhi district.
Police said the demonstrations in Delhi were organised despite prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), formerly Section 144 of the CrPC, which is currently in force as part of security measures ahead of Independence Day. According to officials, the protests turned unruly when police attempted to disperse the demonstrators, leading to clashes at some sites.
"Those who refused to leave the protest sites despite repeated requests were detained. Legal action will be taken against all those found violating the law," the Delhi Police said.
One viral clip from the protests shows the Station House Officer of Tughlaq Road police station being manhandled by protesters, while another video shows a confrontation between a woman sub-inspector and a female demonstrator inside a bus.
The protests followed the Supreme Court's August 11 order directing authorities to ensure that all localities in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad are free of stray dogs. The court had ruled that captured animals should not be released back onto the streets.
On Thursday, a three-judge bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria reserved its order on petitions seeking a stay on the directive. The bench said it would pass an interim order after hearing arguments from all sides.
At the outset, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Delhi government, said there was a "loud vocal minority" opposing the order, while a "silent suffering majority" supported action. "In a democracy, there is a vocal majority and one who silently suffers. We had seen videos of people eating chicken, eggs, etc., and then claiming to be animal lovers. It was an issue to be resolved. Children were dying... Sterilisation did not stop rabies; even if you immunised them, that did not stop mutilation of children," Mehta submitted.
Citing World Health Organisation data, the Solicitor General said 37 lakh dog bites were reported in 2024, with 305 rabies deaths, most among children under 15 years of age. "Dogs do not have to be killed... they have to be separated. Parents cannot send children out to play. Nobody is an animal hater," he added.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing an NGO, questioned whether municipal authorities had created enough shelter homes for the dogs. "Now dogs are picked up. But the order says once they are sterilised, do not leave them out in the community," he argued, seeking a stay on the August 11 order.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi also opposed the directive. He said, "Dog bites exist, but there have been zero rabies deaths in Delhi this year. Of course, bites are bad, but you cannot create a horror situation like this."
The bench observed that the core problem was the failure of local bodies to implement the Animal Birth Control Rules. Justice Nath remarked, "Rules and laws are framed by the Parliament, but they are not followed. Local authorities are not doing what they should be doing. On the one hand, humans are suffering, and on the other hand, animal lovers are here."
In its detailed order, the court stressed that the August 11 decision was not taken on a "momentary impulse" but after two decades of authorities failing to address a matter directly affecting public safety. A separate bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Madadev noted that the issue concerns both human welfare and animal welfare. "This is not personal," the bench said.