Maneka Gandhi demands ABC centres as SC refuses to modify stray dog order

Maneka Gandhi demands the establishment of proper Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres after the Supreme Court refused to modify its order on removing stray dogs from public places, directing people to approach High Courts for grievances.

Animal Rights Activist Calls for High Court Action

Animal rights activist and BJP leader Maneka Gandhi on Tuesday demanded the establishment of proper Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres after the Supreme Court refused to modify its November 2025 order directing the removal of stray dogs from public institutions.

Speaking to ANI, she said that the apex court has said that it will no longer hear the grievances regarding the matter, and people are free to approach the High Courts from now onwards. "They have simply stated that they will no longer entertain any further hearings on the matter. They have said that if anyone has an issue with our verdict or if they feel their grievances are not being heard, they should approach the High Court. Now, whether people will actually go running to 36 different High Courts across the country, or whether they won't, remains to be seen," she said.

Maneka Gandhi Demands Proper ABC Centres

Earlier on November 7, the three-judge bench, while taking into consideration the "alarming rise of dog bite incidents", ordered all states and Union Territories (UTs) to ensure the removal of all stray dogs from every educational institution, hospital, public sports complexes, bus stands, railway stations, etc. Gandhi highlighted that none of the five directives given in the verdict of the Supreme Court in November 2025 was implemented. The directives were to remove the stray dogs from schools, remove them from colleges, remove them from hospitals, remove them from bus stops, and instead, construct shelters for them. "In their previous verdict, they had issued very strict directives: remove them from schools, remove them from colleges, remove them from hospitals, remove them from bus stops, and instead, construct shelters for them. None of these five directives has been implemented by anyone," she said.

Raising her demand, she said that with the proper functioning of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres, sterilised dogs will never bite anyone. She highlighted that the current condition of the exam centres is inadequate, further alleging that the contracts of these ABC centres are often awarded to the relatives of the officials who do not treat animals well. Hence, reflecting a need for well-maintained and properly functioning ABC centres. "Our demand is simply this: establish ABC (Animal Birth Control) centres, and build them properly. The ABC centres that currently exist are of very substandard quality; furthermore, the contracts for these centres were awarded to the relatives of officials. Consequently, they do not treat the animals with proper care. After performing sterilisation surgeries on the animals, they take them from affluent colonies and dump them into impoverished neighbourhoods. A dog that has already undergone sterilisation surgery will never bite anyone. So, if the ABC centres were established and operated correctly, everything would run smoothly," she noted.

'A Balanced Judgment'

Meanwhile, Animal rights activist Gauri Mulekhi called the Supreme Court's judgement a "balanced" one, underlining that the court stressed animal birth control rules. "I think it is a balanced judgment. Earlier in November, the Court had asked for dogs to be summarily picked up and removed and kept in shelters, whatever. Here today, the most stress was given to animal birth control rules," she said.

She said that the court has directed for an ABC centre in every district with trained manpower and veterinarians. The court also asked for compliance reports to be submitted to the High Court nad Supreme Court. "It has been directed that there has to be an animal birth control centre in every district. There has to be trained manpower, trained veterinarians, as well as procedures to be followed, which have been prescribed by the Animal Welfare Board of India. Reporting has to be done, and compliance reports have to be given to the High Courts and the Supreme Court. So the focus on animal birth control rules is very, very welcome, and the rest has been left to the state authorities as to how they want to remove dogs from sensitive areas," she said. (ANI)

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