Amidst Strong Protests Over Stray Dogs , Supreme Court After Hearing Reserves Order

The Supreme Court has said the ‘whole problem’ of stray dogs in Delhi-NCR was a result of the ‘inaction’ of local authorities which did ‘nothing’ in implementing the Animal Birth Control Rules on sterilisation and immunisation of canines.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N V Anjaria, which was constituted to hear a suo motu case and some other pleas concerning stray dogs, reserved its verdict on the interim prayer for a stay on the directions issued by the apex court on August 11.

A two-judge bench on August 11, among other directions, ordered the Delhi-NCR authorities to permanently relocate strays from streets to dog shelters.

The bench had acted in the suo motu case initiated on July 28 over a media report on stray dog bites leading to rabies, particularly among children, in the national capital.

“The whole problem is because of inaction of the local authorities. You frame rules in Parliament. The government acts, rules are framed but no implementation is carried out creating problem which is standing today,” the bench said on Thursday.

The top court added, “On the one hand, humans are suffering and on the other hand, the animal lovers want the animals also to be treated with dignity.”

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Delhi government, referred to data and said in 2024, India reported around 37.15 lakh dog bites cases — nearly 10,000 per day.

Mehta also referred to a media report and said the World Health Organisation, using government and other authentic sources, reported 305 dog-bite related deaths last year.

The bench observed the Animal Welfare Board of India, local authorities and the government had done nothing.

“NGOs make a lot of noise but they don’t know what they should actually be doing. They should have been here earlier for implementation of those rules (Animal Birth Control Rules). Nothing is happening,” it added.

Everyone, the court said, who came before the court and filed intervention would have to own responsibility.

On August 11, a bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan asked authorities in Delhi-NCR to start relocating all stray dogs from streets to shelters and asked the authorities to initially start by creating a shelter to house 5,000 dogs.

It warned of strictest action against those who obstructed the exercise and directed immediate creation of dog shelters or pounds and report about it within eight weeks.

During Thursday’s hearing, Mehta said it was an issue to be resolved, not a matter to be contested.