Stray dogs case: Supreme Court reserves order after hearing representations from all states

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• Supreme Court reserves order on stray dog management after hearing stakeholders.
• Court criticizes states for inaction and poor compliance reports
• Assam reported 1.66 lakh dog-bite cases in 2024, raising serious concern

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The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its decision in the long-running case concerning the management of stray dogs, bringing the hearings to a close after receiving submissions from all states and key stakeholders.

A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N V Anjaria wrapped up arguments after hearing a wide range of voices, including animal welfare advocates, individuals affected by dog attacks, representatives of dog lovers’ groups, and counsel appearing for the Centre and various state governments. The court directed all parties to file their written submissions within a week.

During the proceedings, the court expressed serious concern over what it described as the lack of concrete action by several states in implementing earlier directions related to animal birth control, creation of dog shelters, and removal of stray dogs from sensitive locations such as educational institutions.

"They are all building castles in the air," the bench said, voicing frustration at the explanations offered by the states.

While reviewing compliance reports submitted by state governments, the judges remarked that the responses lacked substance and appeared more narrative than action-oriented, describing the exercise as "storytelling."

The court also flagged alarming data from Assam, where the state reported 1.66 lakh dog-bite cases in 2024 despite having just one dog centre. The bench further noted that in January 2025 alone, 20,900 people were bitten by dogs, a figure the court described as deeply concerning.

Amicus curiae Gaurav Agrawal placed on record that Andhra Pradesh currently has 39 Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres, with the combined capacity to sterilise 1,619 dogs each day. He told the court that the state must assess whether these facilities are being optimally utilised and should set clear timelines for establishing additional centres.

Agrawal also suggested that Andhra Pradesh involve relevant stakeholders to improve identification and management of street dogs. Turning to Assam, the amicus pointed out that the state has three municipal corporations that could serve as starting points for expanding infrastructure. He stressed that existing ABC facilities in Assam were insufficient and called for a comprehensive action plan to strengthen and scale up sterilisation efforts.

With the hearings concluded, the Supreme Court reserved its order in the matter, leaving the issue of stray dog management across states to be decided after consideration of the written submissions.