The circular, which was published on Friday (March 4), also asked all interested parties to ensure that courthouse windows are not left open.
This circular differs from the one issued by the High Court on February 28, in which it ordered people not to feed stray animals such as monkeys and dogs.
A group of lawyers wrote to the Registrar General after the February 28 circular was issued, expressing surprise at the circular’s tenor, which was contrary to the Delhi High Court’s judgement in Dr Maya D Chablani v Radha Mittal and others, which held that animals have a legal right to be “treated with compassion, respect, and dignity.”
Many of the canines in the High Court have been live here for a long time, and many of them have also been sterilised, according to a letter filed by advocate Gauri Puri and signed by several others.
“We are also in the midst of organising a new sterilisation drive to spay and neuter more stray dogs, thanks to the financial support of many caring colleagues.” This would only be possible if they were fed on a daily basis in their territories, allowing us to touch them for vaccinations and the one-time spay/neuter procedure. The peaceful coexistence of humans and animals depends on feeding stray dogs. The stray dogs are part of this territory, and if they aren’t fed, they can get hostile and continue seeking for food closer to the courthouse,” according to the letter.
As a result, the lawyers requested that the circular be amended to specify that dog feeding is permitted only at designated locations, and that a committee comprising animal feeders, caretakers, and High Court officials may be formed to determine such locations.
