Supreme Court Reserves Order on Plea Against Stray Dog Rounding in Delhi NCR

The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its order on petitions challenging its August 11 directive ordering the municipal authorities in Delhi NCR to round up all stray dogs and place them in shelters. The case has sparked an intense legal and public debate, pitting concerns over public safety against animal rights advocacy.

A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria heard arguments from the Central government, several senior advocates, and multiple intervenors but did not grant an immediate stay on the directive.

Background of the Supreme Court Stray Dogs Case

Appearing for the Centre, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that rabies and stray dog attacks are a serious public health concern, particularly for children. Citing WHO data of 305 annual deaths—most victims under 15 years—he said sterilisation alone does not prevent rabies. “Dogs do not have to be killed, but they must be separated,” Mehta stated, adding that the silent majority suffering from attacks must be heard over a vocal minority of animal lovers.

Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing NGO Project Kindness, opposed the August 11 order, questioning the feasibility of its directions. He pointed out the lack of existing shelters, alleged misuse of sterilisation funds, and warned that mass pickup without facilities would lead to inhumane conditions and possible culling. “Once sterilised, where will they go? Shelters don’t exist,” he argued.

Other senior advocates, including Sidharth Luthra, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Siddhartha Dave, Aman Lekhi, and Colin Gonsalves, also criticised the order, saying it presupposes infrastructure that doesn’t exist and could trigger unintended cruelty.

Core Arguments in the Supreme Court Stray Dogs Case

Supporters of the order submitted evidence of frequent dog attacks, noting a ratio of one stray dog for every 24 residents in Delhi. They stressed that vulnerable groups—children, the elderly, and the homeless—face the greatest risk, and urged holding those opposing the directive accountable for future attacks.

Justice Nath summarised the dilemma: “On one hand, humans are suffering; on the other, animal lovers are here. Have some responsibility… all those who have filed interventions must provide evidence.”

The Bench then reserved its order on the interim stay pleas, directing all parties to file affidavits.

Details of the August 11 Order

The earlier Bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan had directed Delhi municipal authorities to:

• Round up all stray dogs, prioritising vulnerable areas.
• Establish shelters for at least 5,000 dogs within eight weeks.
• Ban the re-release of dogs onto the streets.
• Mandate sterilisation, immunisation, and deworming.
• Equip shelters with CCTV, staff, food, and medical facilities.
• Create a helpline within one week for bite complaints and capture offending dogs within four hours.
• Publish monthly rabies vaccination and treatment data.
• Treat any obstruction as contempt of court.

The order came after noting that Delhi reported over 25,000 dog bite cases in 2024 and over 3,000 in January 2025 alone. It observed that sterilisation drives over the last two decades had failed, and that the menace violated citizens’ rights under Articles 19(1)(d) and 21.

While the order encouraged adoption under the Animal Welfare Board’s 2022 protocol, it warned against “virtue signalling” by animal lovers that ignored the core problem.

Protests and Procedural Developments

The directive triggered widespread protests from animal rights activists. On August 14, the matter was mentioned before Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, who noted possible conflicting Supreme Court proceedings on stray dogs before different benches. The case was then reassigned to the current three-judge bench for hearing.

(The content is sourced from agencies and has not been edited by mtimes.co.in.)

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