'Cruel, unscientific': How dog loving netizens reacted to Supreme Court order on stray dogs

Supreme Court's order directing the removal of stray dogs from Delhi-NCR and their relocation to shelter homes drew sharp reactions from animal activists and dog lovers on social media, who called the decision "unscientific and ineffective."

Hearing a suo motu case over stray dog bites leading to rabies in the the Delhi-NCR region, the supreme,  on Monday, said stray dogs should be taken off the streets and housed in shelters.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India said the forced removal of Delhi's community dogs, estimated at around 10 lakh, would create "chaos and suffering" for both the animals and residents.

"Displacement and jailing of dogs has never worked. Such actions will not curb the dog population, reduce rabies or prevent bites, as dogs eventually return to their territories," said Dr Mini Aravindan, senior director of veterinary affairs at PETA India.

In a tweet, PETA said the move is "Not only is this cruel, displacement has NEVER worked."

Animal rights activist and former Union minister Maneka Gandhi called the SC directive "impractical", "financially unviable" and "potentially harmful" to the region's ecological balance. "You have three lakh dogs in Delhi. To get them all off the roads, you'll have to make 3,000 pounds, each with drainage, water, a shed, a kitchen, and a watchman. That will cost about Rs 15,000 crore. Does Delhi have Rs 15,000 crore for this?," news agency PTI quoted her as saying.

"This is not just unscientific, it’s cruel and dangerous. If you care for street animals, now is the time to speak in one voice," said animal activist Gauri Maulekhi in a tweet.

"...we need mass vaccination & mass sterilization — the only humane, proven ways to reduce conflicts," another user said.

"Because if we are truly concerned about the welfare of stray dogs, we should look into every aspect of their safety and health," pointed out another user, who came up with a series of questions to the Delhi government and the civic body.