Stray dogs case: SC reserves order on pleas against earlier rulings

The Supreme Court also directed the Animal Welfare Board of India to process applications from NGOs seeking permission to set up animal shelters or animal birth control facilities

The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its verdict on a batch of petitions seeking modification of earlier orders in a case regarding stray dogs which arose from a surge in stray dog bite incidents reported across the country. 

A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria directed all parties to submit their written submissions within a week.

 

This comes a day after the apex court raised concerns about inadequate steps taken by several states to control the stray dog population. The court noted gaps in sterilisation drives, a shortage of dog pounds, and the failure to remove dogs from sensitive areas, including schools and hospitals.

 

 

While continuing the hearing on Thursday, the court took note of the submissions regarding sterilisation efforts and the number of dog pounds made by several states, such as Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan.

 

In a separate order in November 2025, the court had also directed state governments and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to ensure the removal of stray animals from highways across the country.

 

NHAI’s counsel on Thursday said, “We have been able to locate 1,317 vulnerable locations spanning over 1,434 km. We have communicated to all chief secretaries of states to comply with the directions of this court. We have established patrol teams and drafted a standard operating procedure (SOP) detailing protocol for securing, isolating stray animals, etc. We cannot undertake the exercise in isolation. It has to be coordinated with all local authorities.”

Why the Supreme Court flagged gaps in stray dog control

The court also directed the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) to process the applications of NGOs seeking permission to animal shelters or animal birth control facilities.

Background to the stray dogs case

The issue shot to national attention last year after a Bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan directed Delhi’s municipal authorities to round up stray dogs and house them in shelters.

 

Their order sparked protests from animal rights groups. The current Bench later altered the direction, ruling that dogs that had been sterilised and vaccinated should be released rather than confined permanently in shelters.