A group of animal rights activists staged a peaceful demonstration outside the Chandigarh Health Department in Sector 17 on Tuesday. They raised serious allegations of legal irregularities against the city's Municipal Corporation concerning its management of community dogs. This protest comes at a time when the Supreme Court is actively examining the broader issue.
Allegations of Defying Supreme Court and ABC Rules
The protesters asserted that the civic body is flouting both the interim directions of the Supreme Court and the updated Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules established in 2023. Deeksha Bhalaik, a senior policy expert with an international animal welfare organisation, clarified the protest's dual purpose. She stated it aimed to spotlight not just the alleged breach of the Supreme Court's November 7 interim order but also a systemic failure to comply with ABC regulations.
Bhalaik elaborated that the court's November 7 order specifically directed municipalities to remove community dogs from institutional areas. However, she alleged that in Chandigarh, dogs are being captured based on unverified complaints of bites, with the MC failing to provide the necessary burden of proof. She stressed that this order is interim, not final, and a plea for its modification is still pending before the court.
A critical point of contention is the shelter facility. Bhalaik emphasised that Chandigarh has yet to construct a shelter that meets the standards mandated by the Supreme Court. Currently, captured dogs are being housed in the MC's sterilisation unit at Raipur Kalan, a space temporarily shared with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).
Claims of Illegal Use and Medical Negligence at Shelter
Advocate Sidharth Arora, representing the activists, accused the MC of illegally using the SPCA facility to "dump" dogs. He argued that the space is intended for sick animals, not for housing dogs seized under the court order. This, he claimed, directly violates the Supreme Court's directive that removal is permissible only if a proper, well-equipped shelter is available. He also noted the court's instruction for institutions to secure their premises with fencing to prevent dogs from re-entering.
Volunteer Veena Khari presented photos and videos from inside the SPCA facility, alleging "gross medical negligence" towards the animals. She further claimed that newly issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) by the MC, which prohibit photography inside kennels, are a deliberate attempt to stop volunteers from documenting the conditions. Other volunteers, Upasana and Harsh, supported these claims, alleging that dog pickups were happening from multiple locations across the city.
Official Denial and Ongoing Legal Battle
However, Dr. Gaurav Lakhanpal, the nodal officer for the dog control cell, refuted these allegations. He stated that dogs were picked up solely from the Punjab and Haryana High Court premises following a formal complaint about dog bites. He clarified that all captured dogs, except one identified as the biter, have already been released back.
The dispute has now moved to a higher judicial forum. A petition under Article 226 has been filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The petitioners, represented by lawyers Sidharth Arora, Navraj Narang, and Nikhil Anand, have sought several key directives from the court. These include ensuring strict compliance with existing laws, compelling the MC to obtain the mandatory Certificate of Project Recognition to conduct the ABC programme legally, and ordering an immediate halt to dog captures until designated shelters meeting legal standards are constructed.
The situation highlights the ongoing tension between municipal actions for public safety and the legal safeguards for animal welfare, with the judiciary poised to provide further clarity.
