New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its order on multiple pleas seeking to halt an earlier directive ordering the immediate removal of stray dogs from Delhi-NCR to shelter facilities.
A three-judge Bench led by Justice Vikram Nath, and comprising Justices Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria, heard arguments after the case was reassigned from a two-judge Bench that issued the contested directions on August 11. That earlier order, passed by Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan, had prompted protests from animal rights groups across the country.
During proceedings, Justice Nath questioned reports that stray dogs were already being picked up before the August 11 order was even made public. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for an NGO, confirmed that removals had begun prematurely, raising concerns over inadequate shelter space and potential harm to the animals.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Delhi government, argued that the relocation measure was necessary to address serious public safety risks. Citing official data, he said India sees about 37 lakh dog bite incidents annually — averaging 10,000 per day — and nearly 20,000 rabies-related deaths. “No one is calling for killing dogs, but they must be separated to ensure children’s safety,” he said.
Sibal countered that the Animal Birth Control (Dog) Rules, backed by parliamentary law, mandate sterilisation and vaccination, not mass removal. “If shelters are overcrowded, dogs may injure each other, creating further health risks,” he warned, urging the court to suspend certain provisions of the August 11 order and release animals already detained.
Other senior advocates, including Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Siddharth Dave, Aman Lekhi, Colin Gonsalves, Krishnan Venugopal and Siddharth Luthra, argued that the directive contradicted at least six previous Supreme Court rulings which rejected blanket dog removals. They also questioned the reliance on anecdotal accounts and unauthenticated videos.
The Bench pressed municipal authorities on their preparedness, noting that inaction on sterilisation and vaccination programmes has worsened the stray dog population crisis. “This is happening because the municipal corporation and other local bodies are not fulfilling their responsibilities,” Justice Nath observed.
The August 11 order stemmed from a suo motu case initiated after the court took note of a news report highlighting the dangers posed by stray dogs in Delhi. The Bench is expected to deliver its decision on the stay requests shortly.
