दिल्ली उच्च न्यायालय: केंद्र को 7 जनवरी 2027 तक सेवा कुत्तों के SOP को अंतिम रूप देने का निर्देश

Delhi HC asks Centre to finalise service dogs SOP by January 2027

The Delhi High Court has asked the Centre to finalise the SOP for service dogs assisting persons with disabilities. The move could pave the way for clearer access rules and safer mobility across public spaces.

The Delhi High Court has asked the Centre to finalise the standard operating procedure for the use of service dogs to assist persons with disabilities. A bench of Justices Dinesh Mehta and Aditi Choudhary said it expects the authorities to complete the process by January 7, 2027, the next date of hearing.

The court was hearing a petition filed by the Dhananjay Sanjogta Foundation on the absence of a framework for the use of therapy or service animals by persons with disabilities. The bench said, "While expecting that the respondent nos.1 and 2 (Centre) will finalise the SOP by the next date of hearing so that persons like the petitioner and others can use service dogs for their easy commutation/ movement, we post this matter on January 7, 2027."

During the hearing on October 6, counsel for the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying and the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities placed before the court a draft SOP on 'service dogs for assisting disabled persons in India'. The counsel said objections had been invited from the public and stakeholders, and that the SOP would soon be finalised.

During the proceedings, certain suggestions were made for inclusion in the SOP. These included maintaining a register of service dogs and assigning each dog a registration number. It was also suggested that all service dogs should have a pre-fixed coloured unique collar so that the public, including security personnel, can recognise that the animal is a service dog and is not likely to cause harm. Another suggestion was that service dogs should be muzzled when taken to crowded places such as cinema halls, malls and hospitals to ensure peace and harmony. The Centre's counsel told the court that these inputs would be communicated to the authorities concerned for consideration and possible inclusion in the SOP.

The public interest litigation, filed by the organisation in 2024, challenged the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, saying they violate the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, to the extent that they do not address stray animal attacks on persons with disabilities. The petitioner said India, particularly Delhi, has a very high population of stray animals, most of which are not vaccinated or sterilised.

The plea said lapses in the management of stray animals have made many of them aggressive and prone to attacking people, posing a health and safety risk, especially to vulnerable groups such as elderly people and persons with disabilities. It added that visually impaired persons are unable to anticipate threats and, because of restricted mobility, cannot defend themselves in the event of a stray animal attack. The petitioner also said that while many persons with disabilities in other jurisdictions rely on service and therapy animals in their daily lives, there is no framework in India for their use, placing them at a disadvantage.

The matter will now be taken up on January 7, 2027, by when the court expects the Centre to finalise the SOP on service dogs for persons with disabilities.

The Delhi High Court has asked the Centre to finalise the standard operating procedure for the use of service dogs to assist persons with disabilities. A bench of Justices Dinesh Mehta and Aditi Choudhary said it expects the authorities to complete the process by January 7, 2027, the next date of hearing.

The court was hearing a petition filed by the Dhananjay Sanjogta Foundation on the absence of a framework for the use of therapy or service animals by persons with disabilities. The bench said, "While expecting that the respondent nos.1 and 2 (Centre) will finalise the SOP by the next date of hearing so that persons like the petitioner and others can use service dogs for their easy commutation/ movement, we post this matter on January 7, 2027."

During the hearing on October 6, counsel for the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying and the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities placed before the court a draft SOP on 'service dogs for assisting disabled persons in India'. The counsel said objections had been invited from the public and stakeholders, and that the SOP would soon be finalised.

During the proceedings, certain suggestions were made for inclusion in the SOP. These included maintaining a register of service dogs and assigning each dog a registration number. It was also suggested that all service dogs should have a pre-fixed coloured unique collar so that the public, including security personnel, can recognise that the animal is a service dog and is not likely to cause harm. Another suggestion was that service dogs should be muzzled when taken to crowded places such as cinema halls, malls and hospitals to ensure peace and harmony. The Centre's counsel told the court that these inputs would be communicated to the authorities concerned for consideration and possible inclusion in the SOP.

The public interest litigation, filed by the organisation in 2024, challenged the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, saying they violate the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, to the extent that they do not address stray animal attacks on persons with disabilities. The petitioner said India, particularly Delhi, has a very high population of stray animals, most of which are not vaccinated or sterilised.

The plea said lapses in the management of stray animals have made many of them aggressive and prone to attacking people, posing a health and safety risk, especially to vulnerable groups such as elderly people and persons with disabilities. It added that visually impaired persons are unable to anticipate threats and, because of restricted mobility, cannot defend themselves in the event of a stray animal attack. The petitioner also said that while many persons with disabilities in other jurisdictions rely on service and therapy animals in their daily lives, there is no framework in India for their use, placing them at a disadvantage.

The matter will now be taken up on January 7, 2027, by when the court expects the Centre to finalise the SOP on service dogs for persons with disabilities.

The Delhi High Court has asked the Centre to finalise the standard operating procedure for the use of service dogs to assist persons with disabilities. A bench of Justices Dinesh Mehta and Aditi Choudhary said it expects the authorities to complete the process by January 7, 2027, the next date of hearing.

The court was hearing a petition filed by the Dhananjay Sanjogta Foundation on the absence of a framework for the use of therapy or service animals by persons with disabilities. The bench said, "While expecting that the respondent nos.1 and 2 (Centre) will finalise the SOP by the next date of hearing so that persons like the petitioner and others can use service dogs for their easy commutation/ movement, we post this matter on January 7, 2027."

During the hearing on October 6, counsel for the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying and the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities placed before the court a draft SOP on 'service dogs for assisting disabled persons in India'. The counsel said objections had been invited from the public and stakeholders, and that the SOP would soon be finalised.

During the proceedings, certain suggestions were made for inclusion in the SOP. These included maintaining a register of service dogs and assigning each dog a registration number. It was also suggested that all service dogs should have a pre-fixed coloured unique collar so that the public, including security personnel, can recognise that the animal is a service dog and is not likely to cause harm. Another suggestion was that service dogs should be muzzled when taken to crowded places such as cinema halls, malls and hospitals to ensure peace and harmony. The Centre's counsel told the court that these inputs would be communicated to the authorities concerned for consideration and possible inclusion in the SOP.

The public interest litigation, filed by the organisation in 2024, challenged the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, saying they violate the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, to the extent that they do not address stray animal attacks on persons with disabilities. The petitioner said India, particularly Delhi, has a very high population of stray animals, most of which are not vaccinated or sterilised.

The plea said lapses in the management of stray animals have made many of them aggressive and prone to attacking people, posing a health and safety risk, especially to vulnerable groups such as elderly people and persons with disabilities. It added that visually impaired persons are unable to anticipate threats and, because of restricted mobility, cannot defend themselves in the event of a stray animal attack. The petitioner also said that while many persons with disabilities in other jurisdictions rely on service and therapy animals in their daily lives, there is no framework in India for their use, placing them at a disadvantage.

The matter will now be taken up on January 7, 2027, by when the court expects the Centre to finalise the SOP on service dogs for persons with disabilities.

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