SC Order on Stray Dog Removal a Big Relief for Shimla; SMC Must Now Tackle City’s Dog Menace
SHIMLA: Supreme Court’s order for the immediate removal of all stray dogs from Delhi–NCR has come as a big relief not just for the capital region but also for hill towns like Shimla, where the stray menace has spiralled out of control.
For Shimla residents, this verdict is a clear signal that the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) can no longer drag its feet — the city needs decisive action to reclaim its streets and make them safer for its residents.
The August 11 ruling, delivered by Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan, directs authorities to capture all strays — sterilised or not — and shift them to permanent dog shelters equipped with CCTV, proper staffing, and facilities for vaccination and sterilisation.
The Court has banned their release back into public spaces and given civic bodies 8 weeks to set up shelters.
Other Directives:
Launch a helpline within a week to report dog bites or rabies cases, with a 4-hour response time to catch the animal.
Keep daily records of captures and rabies vaccine stocks.
Take penal action against any activist, NGO, or “dog lover” obstructing removal drives.
The bench’s blunt warning — “Will animal rights activists bring back those who fall prey to rabies?” — has struck a chord in Shimla, where dog bites rival monkey attacks as the top public safety concern.
Residents say sterilisation drives have been token efforts and shelters are non-existent.
With the Supreme Court now setting the precedent, SMC and other urban local bodies in Himachal have no excuse left.
It’s time to set up dog centres, clear strays from public spaces, and put public safety ahead of misplaced activism.
#Shimla #DogMenace #SCOrder #ShimlaMC #PublicSafetyFirst #DogShelters #StrayDogRemoval #Himachal
