'Give Stray Dogs A Better Life': Kapil Dev's Request Amid Controversy

Legendary Indian cricket team skipper Kapil Dev urged Delhi authorities to provide a better life to stray dogs following a recent Supreme Court order directing their transfer to shelter homes. The Supreme Court earlier instructed the Delhi government and other concerned authorities to remove stray dogs from public spaces and to house them in shelter homes. However, the directive sparked major controversy among animal rights activists who feared issues in implementation of the order. In a video message for animal welfare group Petfamilia, the 1983 World Cup-winning skipper said - “I know a lot of things are being said about the dogs. But, as a citizen, I feel they are the most beautiful creatures. So I request to authorities to look into them and give them a better life and don't throw them out.”

 Meanwhile, another bench of the top court asked why authorities in several areas started picking up the animals even before the earlier order became public. The court also came down heavily on the authorities for not implementing guidelines for animal control, leading to this situation. 

The bench of Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta and Justice NV Anjaria heard the matter this morning after an August 11 order of a two-judge bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan sparked a massive row, with animal lovers hitting the streets to protest the order to remove strays from residential neighbourhoods.

Appearing for the Delhi government, Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta pointed to stray dog attacks on children, leading to injury and rabies deaths. "Children are dying. Sterilisation does not stop rabies."

Mr Mehta argued that "no one hates animals". "There are four poisonous species among 100. We don't keep them at home. Dogs do not have to be killed; they have to be separated," he said, citing government data of 37 lakh dog bite cases last year. "Parents cannot send their children out to play. Young girls are mutilated," he argued. The solution, Mr Mehta said, is not in the rules. "The court has to intervene."