The Rajasthan High Court has come down firmly on the issue of stray animals, directing municipal bodies across the state to clear dogs and other animals from
city roads while ensuring they are not subjected to unnecessary harm. “The Municipal bodies shall also undertake a special drive to remove stray dogs and other animals from city roads while ensuring that minimum physical harm is caused to them,” the court ordered. Hearing a suo motu case over the growing threat posed by strays, the bench noted that incidents of dog bites and accidents caused by animals on roads have already claimed multiple lives. It warned that anyone standing in the way of such removal drives would face legal consequences. “If an individual or a group of persons obstruct the employees of Municipalities from discharging their duties in removing the stray animals from the roads/colonies/public paths, then Municipal Officials/employees will be free to take appropriate action against them under the relevant Municipal Laws including lodging of the FIRs for obstructing public servants from performing their duties,” the order stated.
The directive was passed by a division bench of Justice Kuldeep Mathur and Justice Ravi Chirania, which laid out detailed measures to be implemented by civic bodies. Apart from the removal of strays, the court asked municipal authorities to set up accessible complaint systems — via telephone, mobile numbers, or email — so that citizens can report stray-related concerns quickly.
On the same day, the Supreme Court also took a decisive step in the matter, directing authorities in Delhi-NCR to immediately pick up stray dogs from all localities and shift them to shelter homes. The apex court’s instructions cover Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, and Ghaziabad, signalling an equally urgent approach to public safety concerns.
The Rajasthan High Court’s order and the Supreme Court’s directive together mark one of the strongest coordinated judicial actions on stray dog management in recent years.
