Stray Dogs To Roam Free Again, SC Modifies Earlier Order
SC allows release of sterilised strays back to locality, bans public feeding, orders creation of dedicated feeding zones.
- Sterilised dogs to be released back to original localities under ABC rules.
- Aggressive or rabid dogs will remain in shelters post-immunisation.
- Public feeding banned; civic bodies to set up feeding zones.
- MCD helpline to monitor feeding/adoption violations.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 22nd Aug: Stray dogs will not be permanently moved to shelters in Delhi-NCR, with the Supreme Court on Friday modifying its earlier order. The court said that dogs could be released from shelters after sterilisation, unless found to be aggressive or infected with rabies.
The top court also barred people from feeding stray dogs in public and directed civic bodies to set up designated feeding areas in every municipal ward. Violations of the order would attract legal action, it said.
A three-judge bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria expanded the scope of the case by transferring all similar matters pending before high courts to itself for framing a final national policy.
The bench noted that the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules must be followed, which require sterilised and vaccinated strays to be returned to their original locality. “Municipal authorities shall comply with para 12, 12.1, and 12.2. Those with aggressive behaviour or rabies shall be immunised and not released,” Justice Nath said.
Animal lovers may adopt strays through the MCD, but once adopted, dogs cannot be abandoned back on the streets. The court also ordered the MCD to launch a helpline for reporting feeding and adoption violations.
The ruling revisits the August 11 order by another bench that had mandated the relocation of all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR streets within eight weeks, citing rising dog-bite and rabies cases. In 2024, over 37 lakh dog-bite cases and 54 suspected rabies deaths were reported nationwide.
That order had triggered intense backlash from activists and celebrities, who argued that mass relocation was impractical, financially draining for civic bodies, and ineffective in curbing the stray population. The relook was ordered by Chief Justice BR Gavai after widespread criticism.
