‘Sentient beings can’t be allowed to suffer on account of lame excuses’: Delhi court raps animal shelter for defying order to release 10 dogs to owner | Delhi News
A Delhi court on Friday pulled up NGO Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Centre (SGACC) for refusing to return ten dogs to their owner despite earlier judicial directions ordering their release. “Perusal of the record reveals that the applicant (SGACC)… has miserably failed to comply with the orders dated August 11, 2025, and December 24, 2025, passed by the trial court, despite repeated opportunities,” said Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Surabhi Sharma Vats of Karkardooma Court in her order on Friday.
The SGACC had filed a revision petition challenging the court’s release orders. ASJ Vats observed that the conduct of SGACC “clearly demonstrates intentional and deliberate non-compliance with lawful orders passed by the trial court.”
“SGACC cannot be permitted to frustrate the execution of court orders by taking false, evasive, and bogus pleas, particularly when the issue pertains to living, sentient beings whose welfare cannot be allowed to suffer on account of lame excuses or administrative delays,” said ASJ Vats.
She noted that “the continued retention of the dogs, despite clear judicial directions, amounts to gross misuse of authority and is wholly impermissible in law.”
Vishal, whose pets were taken into custody by SGACC over cruelty allegations, submitted that the NGO had not released his ten pet dogs despite repeated court directions.
Vishal contended that SGACC had taken away the dogs for commercial exploitation and illegal trafficking, not for any genuine welfare purpose. He also alleged that he had information that two of his dogs had been sold.
Meanwhile, the court directed SGACC to file a status report containing information on the total number of animals taken into custody by it to date, the number of animals that died during custody, and the number of animals sold, adopted, or transferred.
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Vishal also argued that he was made to run from pillar to post to secure the release of his dogs from SGACC’s custody. He further submitted that he raised the dogs as his children and was in possession of their medical records and vaccination cards.
