Chandigarh, May 23: High-traffic municipal zones across Punjab will soon be cleared of stray dogs as part of a comprehensive safety drive aligned with the latest Supreme Court mandates, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann affirmed Friday.
The policy shift is designed to provide immediate relief to families and pedestrians currently navigating a rise in street attacks. According to the chief minister, the administration intends to balance civic safety with animal welfare by establishing large-scale shelters to house and care for the animal population safely away from residential blocks and markets.
The move comes directly in response to the highest court’s legal orders issued earlier this week on May 19.
“We’ll remove stray dogs from all high footfall public spaces so that children, senior citizens and families can move freely without fearing for their safety,” Mann stated.
The operational guidelines will rely on dual strategies of relocation and targeted medical intervention. For animals deemed incurably ill, rabid, or highly aggressive toward people, the state will apply legally sanctioned protocols including euthanasia, ensuring full alignment with existing national animal welfare legislation.
Mann remarked that public anxiety regarding the stray dog issue made decisive state intervention necessary. He added that the administration always prioritizes issues that directly impact the daily peace of mind of the common citizen.
“Issues concerning public safety and matters of immense importance to the masses are always accorded the highest priority by the Punjab Government,” Mann declared.
