On Friday, 22 August, animal rights activists and animal lovers had gathered at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar in anticipation of the Supreme Court’s final verdict on the stray dog relocation issue.
This all started on 28 July, 2025, with the 2-judge bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan taking suo moto cognisance of a news report on the rabies-led death of six-year-old Chavi Sharma in Delhi. Consequently, the bench took a decision on 11 August and instructed the Delhi-NCR civic bodies to catch the stray dogs, sterilise and vaccinate them, and then keep them in shelters permanently, away from the population. After protests from all over the country, the case was given to the 3-judge bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N.V. Anjaria, who, on a 14 August hearing, reserved their order on the plea for an interim stay of the 11 August directives.
Finally, on 22 August, the Nath-Mehta-Anjaria bench ordered the Delhi-NCR authorities to round up stray dogs, vaccinate and sterilise them, and release them back to their original neighbourhoods, as mandated by the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023. The 11 August directives were put in abeyance for the time being. They said that the 11 August order was "too harsh" and may lead to a “catch-22 situation”, which is impossible to comply with. However, they gave some orders of their own.
On Sterilisation and Inoculation of Stray Dogs:
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Dogs will be picked up from the localities and sent to ABC centres for sterilisation, vaccination, and deworming.
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The dogs will be kept at the centre for the required period of recovery and then released back to their familiar neighbourhoods.
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Those dogs who have rabies, are suspected of having rabies, or are exhibiting aggressive behaviour will be kept at the shelters permanently and not released back onto the streets.
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As far as possible, such dogs that are suspected to be a risk to the people should be kept in separate shelters/pounds.
On Feeding Stray Dogs:
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Unregulated feeding of dogs, especially on the streets and in public spaces, is prohibited.
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The municipal authorities will identify and create dedicated feeding areas for stray dogs in every municipal ward, depending on the population of stray dogs in the area.
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Notice boards must be put up next to the feeding areas to clearly designate the space.
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People who violate the order and feed stray dogs out of the designated areas will be liable to legal consequences.
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The municipal authorities will create helpline numbers so that violations of these directives can be reported. Once the reports come in, the authorities will swiftly take appropriate actions against the violators.
On Discharge of Duties by Municipal Authorities:
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The municipal authorities must begin the work of picking up strays, treating them, and releasing them back to their localities immediately.
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Simultaneously, they should ramp up the construction of more shelters and pounds to sterilise, vaccinate, and deworm strays.
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No animal lover or NGO should cause any hindrance to this process. If any public officer who is complying with these directions is stopped, the violators may face legal action for obstructing a public servant acting in the discharge of official duty.
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The municipal authorities need to provide a complete report on the resources available as of date, such as the number of dog pounds, veterinarians, dog-catching personnel, specially modified vehicles/cages, etc., to the court.
On Policy vis-à-vis Stray Dogs:
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Each animal lover and NGO that approached the Court on this matter is instructed to pay Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 2,00,000, respectively, within a period of 7 days. This money will be used to create infrastructure and facilities for stray dogs. Failure to pay will mean that the individual/NGO will not be able to appear in the matter anymore.
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If any animal lover wants to adopt a street dog, they’ll have to apply to the concerned municipal body. Then, the dog will be tagged and given to the applicant, who must make sure that the dog doesn’t return to live on the streets thereafter.
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The scope of the matter is expanded beyond Delhi-NCR. The Secretaries of the Animal Husbandry Department, the local bodies, and the concerned authorities of the States and Union Territories should inform the Court regarding the respective steps they have taken for implementation of the ABC Rules, 2023.
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The petitions pending on cases of similar nature in the various High Courts are to be transferred to the Supreme Court to be heard alongside this case.
The Supreme Court bench then listed the matter for eight weeks thereafter, for further orders and for receiving status reports.
Many activists, NGOs, and public figures came out in support of these directives from the Supreme Court, calling it a balanced order that keeps in mind both the welfare of the people as well as the compassionate treatment of the animals. If implemented with rigour, the order has the potential to have far-reaching positive consequences on both rabies management and how the public treats stray dogs. However, the directives may warrant cautious optimism, because the authorities have a gargantuan task ahead of them, even if it is not about sheltering stray dogs permanently. Scarcity of funds, trained personnel, shelters, and other facilities has historically diminished the efficacy of the ABC Rules, 2023. If the story repeats itself, then this momentary respite and joy may remain just that: momentary.
For the details of the case so far, check out our blog on Stray Dogs vs. Supreme Court: The Background, the Directives, and the Possible Consequences.
Resources:
https://www.livelaw.in/pdf_upload/4170620252025-08-22-616767.pdf
Image Credit: Photo by PTI
