India
The Supreme Court of India is set to hear a suo motu case concerning stray dogs on October 27. In addition to this case, four separate pleas related to the issue have also been scheduled for hearing on the same day, reflecting the growing national concern over stray dog management.
The matter gained prominence after the apex court, on August 22, expanded the scope of its earlier orders from the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) to all states and Union Territories. The court directed that all states and UTs be made parties in the matter, emphasizing the need for a uniform approach under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules across the country.
According to the cause list released on the Supreme Court’s official website, the hearing will be conducted by a three-judge special bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N V Anjaria. The bench is expected to address key issues regarding the management, sterilisation, vaccination, and humane treatment of stray dogs while formulating a final national policy.
The court’s August 22 order modified its earlier directive from August 11, which had prohibited the release of vaccinated stray dogs from pounds in Delhi-NCR. The bench described the previous order as “too harsh” and instructed that the dogs should now be released back to the areas from which they were picked up, but only after sterilisation, deworming, and vaccination. However, dogs infected with rabies, suspected of being infected, or showing aggressive behavior are not to be relocated.
Municipal authorities in Delhi, Ghaziabad, Noida, Faridabad, and Gurugram were directed to continue picking up stray dogs from all localities and create dog shelters or pounds immediately. Additionally, the authorities must file an affidavit detailing compliance with the ABC Rules, including statistics on available resources such as dog pounds, veterinarians, dog-catching personnel, and specially modified vehicles and cages.
The August 11 order, which was passed in response to a media report highlighting stray dog bites causing rabies cases, particularly among children in the national capital, had sparked widespread protests across the country. Subsequently, the matter was referred to the three-judge bench to ensure that all similar cases pending in various high courts come under a unified national framework.
With the upcoming hearing, the Supreme Court is expected to provide clarity on the long-standing issue of stray dog management in India, balancing public safety concerns with animal welfare.
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