The Supreme Court on Monday came down heavily on state governments for failing to submit affidavits confirming compliance with its August directive to capture, sterilise, and release stray dogs. Expressing sharp disapproval, the bench noted that despite its clear orders, incidents of stray dog attacks had continued to rise in several states.
“Your country is being portrayed in a bad light internationally! Two months were granted... yet no response!” the court remarked.
The court referred to multiple recent attacks reported from different parts of India. In Maharashtra, a child was mauled in Pune last month, while another young girl was attacked by a pack of twenty dogs in Bhandara district. In Kerala’s Kannur district, a man performing in a street play about stray dogs was ironically bitten during the act. Similar attacks were reported from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, where a family of three was injured and from Warangal in Telangana within the past 48 hours.
Angered by the lack of response, the bench, comprising Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta, and Justice N.V. Anjaria, directed all state and union territory chief secretaries to appear personally before the court and explain the delay. “Don’t you read newspapers? The order passed on 22 August was widely reported,” the judges said, demanding accountability from senior bureaucrats.
The bench noted that only West Bengal, Telangana, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) had filed replies. However, these submissions were not placed on record as they were filed during the Diwali break. “MCD has filed a reply, but the Delhi government has not?” the court asked sharply, issuing a pointed rebuke to the national capital’s administration.
While most states have yet to act, Rajasthan has taken initial steps towards implementing the Supreme Court’s directive. The Department of Autonomous Governance has instructed all municipal corporations to strictly enforce sterilisation and vaccination drives.In Tamil Nadu, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has also ramped up efforts. By mid-September, the GCC reported vaccinating over 46,000 dogs against rabies and microchipping more than 12,000 animals for identification. In the Delhi-NCR region, Noida authorities have launched a comprehensive survey to map and monitor the stray dog population.
The Supreme Court’s August 22 order modified an earlier directive issued 11 days prior. It stated that stray dogs must be released back into the areas from which they were picked up, but only after sterilisation and immunisation. Exceptions were made for rabid or dangerously aggressive dogs, which could be isolated or treated as per veterinary advice. The bench also clarified that the existing Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules would continue to apply. These rules mandate that sterilised animals be returned to their home territory to prevent disruption of territorial behaviour.
Earlier, the court had ordered the rounding up of all stray dogs in the Delhi-NCR region after a series of alarming attacks. However, following objections from animal rights activists, the court reviewed the matter and modified its stance, emphasising humane control measures instead of mass culling.
