Chandigarh, May 23: The Punjab Government will completely execute the Supreme Court’s recent directives on managing the stray dog population to ensure both public safety and the humane treatment of animals, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann declared Friday.
Speaking in Chandigarh, the chief minister stated that local authorities have already received necessary instructions to enforce the judicial orders across the state. Under the new plan, free-roaming canines will be systematically removed from high-footfall public locations so that vulnerable groups, including children and senior citizens, can walk through their neighborhoods without fear of animal attacks.
To accommodate the displaced animals, Mann asserted that the state will set up and fund a network of dedicated animal shelters where the dogs can receive proper care.
“We’ll create and maintain an adequate number of dog shelters where these stray dogs can be cared for properly,” Mann noted.
The initiative follows a May 19 Apex Court ruling meant to curb a sharp rise in canine attacks, a situation that the chief minister acknowledged has become a serious threat to public well-being. Mann maintained that while welfare is a priority, the state will also enforce strict legally permissible measures for extreme cases. This includes the administration of euthanasia for rabid, terminally ill, or aggressively dangerous animals, handled strictly under the framework of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Animal Birth Control Rules.
The chief minister concluded that protecting local communities remains the administration’s primary focus.
“Punjab Government committed to protecting lives, safety and security of people across Punjab,” Mann affirmed.
