Supreme Court Cites Right To Life With Dignity In Order On Stray Dogs

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed petitions seeking recall of its November 2025 order to remove stray dogs from streets and public places. Underlining citizens' right to live without the threat of attacks by dogs, the court said the state "cannot remain a passive spectator."

Specifically, the court refused recall of its order that stray dogs - once sterilised - cannot be released to areas from which they had been picked up. Animal rights activists had argued that relocating the animals - after sterilisation - could confuse them, and lead to more attacks.

"The court cannot remain oblivious to harsh ground realities... where children, international travellers, and elderly people have fallen victim to dog bite incidents," a bench of Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta, and Justice NV Anjaria said, "The Constitution doesn't envisage a society where children and elderly people are to survive on mercy and physical strength."

"We have given detailed consideration to applications seeking recall of our November 7 judgement," the court said, "(but) we dismiss all the applications."

Describing the continued presence of stray dogs in public places "alarming", the court directed states and union territories to take all necessary steps to strengthen and implement rules detailed by the Animal Welfare Board of India.

The court noted petitioners had offered no good reason to disregard these rules.

The court also criticised state governments for having failed to follow earlier instructions.

"There has been a discernible absence of efforts to expand and quantify infrastructure in proportion to increasing population of stray dogs. It (the efforts) have remained sporadic... and lacking institutional depth. Sterilisation and vaccination drives took place without planning..."

"This defeats the objects of the (Animal Birth Control) framework," the court reasoned, "Had states acted with foresight, the present situation could not have assumed such proportions."

Directions issued today

1. States / union territories must enforce AWBI rules,
2. States / union territories must set up at least one animal birth control in every district,
3. States / union territories must ensure adequate availability of anti-rabies vaccines and immunoglobulins,
4. Officials duty-bound to implement these directions must be protected - i.e., no police cases should be ordinarily registered against them - in performance of their duties

What happened in November 2025

Last year the court issued directions to authorities to remove stray dogs from public places - like hospitals, parks, railway stations, etc. - and take them to shelters instead. The court ruled these dogs - once sterilised - cannot be released to the areas in which they were found. The court also banned the feeding of dogs in public, except for designated areas.

RECAP | Top Court's Big Order On Stray Dogs, Cattle At Railway Stations, Highways

Those proved contentious with animal rights NGOs filing petitions to recall them.

Stray dogs case

In July the court ruled that all stray dogs in Delhi and adjoining regions must be shifted from residential localities to shelters.

These shelters must have professionals who can sterilise, immunise, and care for the dogs. The court had then also warned that any individual or organisation blocking the collection of stray dogs by authorities will face the "strictest action".