The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed petitions seeking modification of its November 2025 order to remove stray dogs from streets and public places across the country.
Specifically, the court refused to recall its order that strays picked up from public places must not be released to those same locations after being sterilised. Animal rights activists had argued relocating the dogs could cause disorient and confuse them, and lead to more attacks.
However, a bench of Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta, and Justice NV Anjaria disagreed, and labelled the presence of stray dogs in public places “alarming”. The court said it could not overlook instances in which the animals had attacked people, particularly children.
“We have given detailed consideration to applications seeking recall of our November 7 judgement (but) we have dismissed all the applications,” the court said, noting the petitioners had offered no good reason to interfere with Animal Welfare Board of India protocols.
The court also criticised state governments for having failed to follow earlier instructions.
“There has been a discernible absence of efforts to expand and quantify infrastructure in proportion to increasing population of stray dogs. It (the efforts) have remained sporadic… and lacking institutional depth. Sterilisation and vaccination drives took place without planning…”
“This defeats the objects of the (Animal Birth Control) framework,” the court reasoned, “Had states acted with foresight, the present situation could not have assumed such proportions.”
Directions issued today
- States / union territories must enforce AWBI rules,
- States / union territories must set up at least one animal birth control in every district,
- States / union territories must ensure adequate availability of anti-rabies vaccines and immunoglobulins,
- Officials duty-bound to implement these directions must be protected – i.e., no police cases should be ordinarily registered against them – in performance of their duties
What happened in November 2025
Last year the court issued directions to authorities to remove stray dogs from public places – like hospitals, parks, railway stations, etc. – and take them to shelters instead. The court ruled that these dogs – once sterilised – cannot be released to the areas in which they were found.
The court also banned the feeding of dogs in public, except for designated areas.
The orders proved contentious, with many dog lovers and animal rights NGOs filing petitions to recall them. After hearing several of these, the court had reserved judgement in January.
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