The Supreme Court has expressed strong displeasure over the negligence of states in addressing the issue of stray dogs and has summoned the Chief Secretaries of all states and union territories to appear in person on November 3. In compliance with the court’s directions, the Uttarakhand Urban Development Department has issued fresh guidelines to manage stray dogs in urban areas.
According to the new policy, urban local bodies will designate specific feeding zones in each ward, and legal action will be taken against those feeding dogs on public streets. The state government will submit an affidavit regarding these measures to the Supreme Court.
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Urban Development Director Vinod Giri Goswami said that local bodies have been instructed to ensure sterilisation and vaccination of captured dogs before releasing them back into the same area. Aggressive or rabies-infected dogs will be kept permanently in shelter homes.
Urban bodies have also been directed to set up helpline numbers for complaints and assistance. Additionally, citizens can adopt stray dogs by applying to their respective urban bodies.
The department has collected detailed information from all urban local bodies regarding available infrastructure, including the number of dog shelters, veterinarians, trained dog catchers, vehicles, and cages.