CHANDIGARH, July 6 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Chandigarh administration to immediately ensure adequate living conditions, clean water, ventilation, and medical care for animals housed in government-run shelters. The court was acting on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Sehjeevi Trust, a city-based charitable organisation.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry passed the order while hearing concerns about the temporary relocation of animals from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) facility in Sector 38 West to an ill-equipped shelter in Raipur Kalan, where renovations are underway.
According to the PIL, animals at the temporary Raipur Kalan facility are being kept in cramped and unhygienic conditions, with no space for movement, no designated area for defecation, inadequate sanitation, and limited access to clean water. The trust also raised concerns about the absence of CCTV surveillance and critical medical infrastructure such as operational operation theatres, blood sampling machines, and x-ray equipment.
Volunteers, the trust added, have also been unable to assist due to the remote location of the new shelter. “It has been over two months since the relocation, yet no meaningful steps have been taken despite repeated representations,” the petition said.
The plea further demanded the identification of a more suitable alternate site, expedited completion of repairs at the Sector 38 facility, and enhanced budgetary allocation for animal food and medical supplies. The trust also called for a probe into “systemic neglect” and potential “embezzlement of funds” meant for animal welfare.
Highlighting long-standing issues, the petition noted that an inspection by the Animal Welfare Board of India in 2020 had flagged multiple irregularities, but no corrective action was taken even after five years. The High Court has now sought a detailed reply from the UT administration by July 29.
The PIL drew attention to RTI findings showing that 96% of the SPCA’s annual budget is spent on staff salaries, while only 1% is allocated for medicines and hospital care and 3% for food — figures that the trust claims are at odds with the shelter’s core responsibilities.
The trust had last month held a press conference to expose the “appalling conditions” at the SPCA facility. The event prompted a visit by the UT Administrator, but the petitioners argue that the situation on the ground remains unchanged.
The court’s intervention now places the spotlight on the city’s responsibility to uphold humane standards for its most voiceless residents — the animals in its care.
