New Delhi, Aug 14: The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its order on petitions challenging its August 11 directive to round up all stray dogs in the Delhi NCR region, Bar & Bench reported. The Bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria declined to stay the earlier order, which instructed municipal bodies to collect stray dogs, prioritise vulnerable localities, and establish shelters with an initial capacity of at least 5,000 animals within eight weeks.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, told the court that the issue pitted a “vocal minority” of animal lovers against a “silent majority” of citizens suffering from the stray dog menace. Citing World Health Organization data, he said India records about 305 rabies deaths annually, mostly among children under 15. While insisting dogs need not be killed, he argued they must be separated from public spaces to protect children and vulnerable groups.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for NGO Project Kindness, urged a stay on the August 11 order, questioning the feasibility of the directions when adequate shelters and sterilisation facilities do not exist. He alleged mismanagement of funds earmarked for sterilisation and warned that without proper infrastructure, dogs could be harmed or culled.
Other senior advocates, including Sidharth Luthra, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Siddhartha Dave, Aman Lekhi and Colin Gonsalves, also opposed the order, arguing that it presupposed the availability of infrastructure which is currently “less than fractional” of what is required. Singhvi noted parliamentary records showing zero rabies deaths in Delhi, saying the court’s directions risked creating “a horror situation” without solving the problem. An advocate supporting the order countered that the stray dog population posed a serious public health risk, citing medical reports of victims and noting there is one stray dog for every 24 people in the region.
Justice Nath remarked that while Parliament frames rules, their implementation remains poor, and both sides must take responsibility. The court directed all intervenors to file affidavits with supporting evidence before concluding the hearing and reserving its order on interim relief.
The August 11 directive, passed suo motu by a Bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan, cited over 25,000 dog bite cases in Delhi in 2024 and more than 3,000 in January 2025 alone. It banned the re-release of stray dogs after sterilisation, mandated CCTV-equipped shelters, and required rapid response to dog bite complaints. The order sparked strong protests from animal rights activists and prompted concerns about conflicting Supreme Court directions on the matter, leading Chief Justice BR Gavai to reassign the case to the current Bench.
