'Too harsh': Supreme Court modifies order on Delhi stray dogs - top quotes

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday reversed the August 11 order on the relocation of stray dogs in Delhi-NCR, saying that the animals that are not rabid or aggressive will not be shifted to shelters but instead sterilised, immunised, and released back to their original locations.

The court said that the "direction given in the order dated 11th August, 2025, prohibiting the release of the treated and vaccinated dogs seems to be too harsh."

It referenced Rule 11(9) of the ABC Rules, which mandates that once stray dogs have been sterilised, inoculated, and dewormed, they must be released back into the same locality from which they were picked up.

A three-judge bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta, and Justice NV Anjaria clarified that stray dogs must be released to their original areas after sterilisation, deworming, and immunisation, except for those infected with rabies, suspected of rabies infection, or exhibiting aggressive behaviour.

Here are top quotes:

• "The provision in Rule 11(19) that the dogs, upon sterilisation and immunisation, should be relocated to the same locality from which they have been picked up, is scientifically carved out inasmuch as it serves two purposes. Firstly, the same prevents the scope of overcrowding in the dog shelters/pounds, and secondly, the picked-up stray dogs after immunisation and sterilisation are relocated to the same environment where they were living earlier, which is a compassionate treatment," the court said.
• "The aggressive sterilisation would definitely put a curb on the rapid growth of the stray dog population, ultimately leading to its reduction. However, this is possible only in an idealistic situation, which seems unlikely in the present scenario," the court said.
• The court said, "It was argued by some of the counsels appearing for the animal lovers that the process of sterilisation and inoculation has worked wonders in many towns across the country and has significantly brought down the population of stray dogs. To be specific, it was pointed out that towns like Dehradun and Lucknow, which have taken aggressive measures for sterilisation, etc., as per the ABC Rules, have seen a steady decline in the population of stray dogs. A suggestion has also been received that chemical castration is a safe, painless, and effective mode of sterilisation."
• "A blanket direction to pick up all the strays and place them in dog shelters/pounds without evaluating the existing infrastructure may lead to a catch-22 situation because such directions may be impossible to comply with. We, therefore, feel that a holistic approach requires mollification of the directions issued vide order dated 11th August, 2025," the court said.

The court also ordered a ban on public feeding of stray dogs and directed the establishment of dedicated feeding spaces. The Bench reiterated the August 11 order that no individual or organisation should obstruct municipal authorities from picking up dogs in accordance with the ABC Rules.

The scope of the matter was extended beyond Delhi-NCR to a pan-India level, involving all States and Union Territories, Secretaries of Animal Husbandry departments, Secretaries of local bodies, and Municipal corporations for compliance with ABC Rules. The court also stated that it would transfer similar petitions pending in high courts to itself to formulate a national policy on the issue.

The Supreme Court has supplemented and modified earlier directions on stray dog management, laying down fresh guidelines for municipal bodies:

• Municipal authorities must continue complying with previous directions, but the bar on releasing picked-up strays has been kept in abeyance. Stray dogs are to be sterilised, dewormed, vaccinated, and then released in the same area, except in cases of rabies or aggressive behaviour. Such dogs must be kept in shelters after treatment.
  
  
• Each municipal ward must establish designated feeding zones for stray dogs. Feeding on streets is prohibited, with violators facing legal action. Helplines are to be set up for reporting violations.
  
  
• No individual or organisation may obstruct officials implementing these directions; obstruction will invite prosecution.
  
  
• NGOs involved in the case must deposit Rs 2 lakh each, while individual dog lovers must deposit Rs 25,000 each, within seven days. These funds will be used for stray-dog infrastructure.
  
  
• Citizens may formally adopt stray dogs through municipal bodies, ensuring adopted dogs do not return to the streets.
  
  
• Municipalities must file compliance affidavits, detailing available facilities such as dog pounds, vets, capture staff, and vehicles.