Supreme Court orders removal of stray dogs, cattle from public areas and roads
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has directed the removal of stray dogs from key public spaces, including schools, hospitals, bus stands, railway stations, and sports complexes, citing the alarming rise in dog-bite incidents across the country. The Court has mandated that local authorities be
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has directed the removal of stray dogs from key public spaces, including schools, hospitals, bus stands, railway stations, and sports complexes, citing the alarming rise in dog-bite incidents across the country. The Court has mandated that local authorities be
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has directed the removal of stray dogs from key public spaces, including schools, hospitals, bus stands, railway stations, and sports complexes, citing the alarming rise in dog-bite incidents across the country. The Court has mandated that local authorities be
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has directed the removal of stray dogs from key public spaces, including schools, hospitals, bus stands, railway stations, and sports complexes, citing the alarming rise in dog-bite incidents across the country. The Court has mandated that local authorities be responsible for relocating these stray animals to designated shelters after they are vaccinated and sterilised, in accordance with the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules.
The Court's directive includes an explicit order that stray dogs, once picked up from public spaces, must not be returned to the same location. In its ruling, the Court emphasised that allowing dogs to return would defeat the purpose of clearing these spaces of strays.
A bench consisting of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria delivered the ruling on November 7, 2025, during the suo motu hearing of the case concerning the growing stray dog menace. The bench also ordered that local bodies must carry out periodic inspections to ensure that stray dog habitats are not established in these sensitive areas.
During the hearing, senior advocates Anand Grover and Karuna Nundy presented submissions, cautioning that removing dogs could lead to new strays occupying the cleared spaces. However, the bench dismissed these concerns, stating that this issue would not deter the Court's decision.
In addition to the order regarding stray dogs, the Court issued a separate direction for the removal of stray cattle and other animals from highways, expressways, and roads. The Court endorsed the decision of the Rajasthan High Court, which had earlier ordered the removal of such animals from roads and highways to prevent accidents. A joint coordinated drive was instructed to ensure the swift removal of all stray animals, with the animals to be relocated to goshalas or shelter homes. The Chief Secretaries of all states and Union Territories have been directed to ensure strict compliance with the order, with status reports to be filed within eight weeks.
The issue of stray dogs gained national attention when the Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance of the problem on July 28, following a Times of India report titled "In a city hounded by strays, kids pay price". The report highlighted the increasing incidents of dog bites and the risks of rabies in urban areas.
On August 11, 2025, a bench led by Justice JB Pardiwala ordered the relocation of stray dogs to shelters in Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, and Ghaziabad, barring their release in the same areas. The Court also warned that any obstruction to the authorities’ efforts to collect and relocate strays would invite legal consequences. In a surprising turn, the case was transferred to a three-judge bench led by Justice Vikram Nath, after concerns were raised over the conflict with earlier rulings.
On August 22, the Court stayed parts of the earlier order that prohibited the return of treated and vaccinated dogs to their original locations. The bench clarified that only those dogs exhibiting rabid symptoms or aggressive behaviour should not be returned.
Additionally, the Court reiterated the need for designated feeding spaces for stray dogs, urging authorities to create such spaces rather than allowing public feeding in inappropriate locations. It also expanded the scope of the case to include all states and Union Territories, ensuring a national policy on stray dogs would be developed.
The issue escalated when, on October 27, the Court summoned the Chief Secretaries of all states and Union Territories, excluding West Bengal and Telangana, for not filing affidavits detailing the steps taken to implement the ABC Rules. Despite repeated reminders, many states had failed to submit progress reports. The Supreme Court expressed frustration over the lack of action from state authorities, stating that the problem should have been addressed by municipal corporations and local governments long ago.
(With LiveLaw inputs.)