SC Modifies Order on Stray Dogs, Directs Release After Sterilisation and Vaccination

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday modified its earlier directions on the capture and relocation of stray dogs in the Delhi-NCR region, ruling that animals picked up by civic authorities must be released back into their original territory after sterilisation and immunisation, except in cases where dogs are infected with rabies or display aggressive behaviour.

The three-judge Bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N.V. Anjaria, which reserved its verdict last week in the suo motu case “In Re: City Hounded by Strays, Kids Pay Price”, also directed the creation of dedicated feeding spaces for stray dogs, while restricting feeding in public areas.

Expanding the scope of the proceedings, the court impleaded all state governments and Union Territories to work towards a pan-India stray dog policy and proposed transferring to itself similar petitions pending before various High Courts.

In its latest order, the Bench mandated that individual dog lovers and NGOs deposit ₹25,000 and ₹2 lakh respectively with the apex court registry before being allowed to participate in the matter, a move aimed at curbing frivolous intervention applications. The court also maintained its earlier stance that any group obstructing removal of stray dogs would face strict legal action.

The new directions modify the order of a two-judge Bench led by Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan, which had earlier directed municipal bodies across Delhi-NCR to immediately capture and relocate all stray dogs to shelters, citing rising cases of rabies and threats to public safety. That ruling had sparked sharp criticism from animal rights activists and welfare groups.

Following the uproar, CJI B.R. Gavai constituted the larger three-judge Bench, noting that the earlier ruling conflicted with a 2024 Supreme Court judgment, which prohibited the killing of stray animals and emphasised compassion for all living beings as a constitutional value.