After SC, Rajasthan High Court directs removal of stray dogs, other animals from city roads

The Rajasthan High Court on Monday has directed the Municipal bodies to undertake a special drive to remove stray dogs and other animals from city roads while ensuring that minimum physical harm is caused to them.

"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", a bench of Justices Kuldeep Mathur and Ravi Chirania has ordered.

The High Court further observed that, "We expect from the general public that if due to their sentiments or religious believes or for love towards the animals, they want to feed them or offer food or take care of them, then they shall perform such activities at dog shelters and cattle ponds/Gaushalas maintained by the Municipalities or private individual/organization."

High Court was informed that despite there being statutory obligations to ensure that no nuisance, discomfort, disturbance or inconvenience is caused to the citizens in their free and smooth movement on the city roads/highways, due to sheer negligence and non-performance of the duties by the authorities concerned, the incidents of assault and biting by the stray animals have increased manifolds and this is not only naturally causing danger to human life in State but it is also spoiling the image of the State which gathers tourists from not only the entire country but also from various countries across the globe.

Hearing this, court noted that certain directions were required to be issued. Court accordingly directed AAG Rajesh Panwar to file a detailed report regarding the condition and maintenance of dog shelters and cattle ponds/Gaushalas maintained by the Municipal Corporations.

AAG has also been directed to indicate the number of manpower available with each of the Municipal Corporation for undertaking the task of removal of stray animals from the roads and the doctors and supporting staffs appointed by them in the dog shelters and cattle ponds/Gaushalas to take care of the animals.

"The Municipal Corporation, Jodhpur shall take immediate steps in respect of premises of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur and the District Court premises, Jodhpur where every day, a large number of people come for their treatment/work and shall also ensure that stray animals are removed from their premises on priority basis....The National Highways Authority and the State Highways Authority shall also make regular patrolling on the highways for removal of the stray animals from the roads and to ensure free vehicular movements on Highways", the order adds. 

Yesterday, the Supreme Court also ordered the removal of all stray dogs from the Delhi NCR region and their consequent relocation to dog shelters/compounds dedicated for them. "All these animal activists and so-called lovers, will they be able to bring back all those children who have fallen prey to rabies? Let's take a practical view of the matter", the supreme court said.

In July the top court had taken suo-moto cognizance of a very disturbing and alarming Newspaper cutting reported by the `Times of India’ in its Delhi edition titled “City Hounded By Strays, Kids Pay Price”. "Everyday, hundreds of dog bites are being reported in the city and the areas on the outskirts, leading to rabies and ultimately young infants, children and aged are falling prey to this dreadful disease. We are shocked to know that on an average 20,000 cases of dog bites are recorded in the country and out of which 2000 incidents happen in Delhi every day", the top court's bench had noted.

Case Title: SUO MOTO Vs. MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

Hearing Date: August 11, 2025

Bench: Justices Kuldeep Mathur and Ravi Chirania