Guwahati, Aug. 14 -- The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its order on an interim plea seeking a stay on its August 11 directive to remove stray dogs from the capital's streets and confine them to shelters within six to eight weeks.

A three-judge Bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath, and comprising Justices Sandeep Mehta and N.V. Anjaria, declined to grant an immediate stay on the order issued by a Division Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan. The Bench observed that local authorities were failing in their responsibilities.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Union Government, stressed that most fatalities from dog bites and rabies involved children, describing the matter as a pressing public health concern. ...