The Supreme Court of India has ordered the immediate removal of all stray dogs from Delhi and its surrounding cities, directing that the animals be housed in shelters within eight weeks. The ruling, issued on Monday during a suo motu hearing into dog bite incidents, has provoked intense public debate and street-level protests.
The bench, comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan, described the situation as “extremely grim” and said the measures were necessary to protect public safety.
“Infants and young children should not at any cost fall prey to stray dog bites leading to rabies,” the judges stated.
Under the order, stray dogs — regardless of sterilisation status — must be removed from residential areas, streets, and other public places across Delhi-NCR, including Gurugram, Noida, and Ghaziabad. They are to be relocated to purpose-built shelters and are not to be returned to the streets.
The court instructed civic bodies to create shelter capacity for at least 5,000 dogs within six to eight weeks, hire sufficient personnel for sterilisation and vaccination, install CCTV monitoring, and set up a helpline for reporting dog bite cases. The order also allowed for the formation of a dedicated task force and warned that anyone obstructing the process could face contempt proceedings.
Reactions to the judgment have been sharply polarised. Some citizens welcomed the decision as long overdue.
One social media user argued: “Dear stray dog lovers, if you are this upset with the SC decision to take the strays off the road, please take a few into your homes and give the dogs a loving home. Shell out for their vaccinations, training and treatment. Put your money where your mouth is. Feeding stray dogs stale chapatis from your home does NOT make you an animal activist!”
Another wrote: “No one should have to risk the life of their three-year-old child because someone somewhere is compassionate about stray dogs. It’s that simple.”
A third, identifying as a dog owner, said: “If you’re unaware of the stray dog situation in Delhi NCR, ask those who work night shifts. I’m a dog lover myself, but this stray dog menace needs to stop. I SUPPORT SC’s DECISION.”
Others condemned the order as lacking compassion and violating legal protections for animals.
One critic commented: “Humanity’s place at the top of the food chain is by sheer luck. We can’t claim superiority, and there’s no guarantee we’ll hold it forever. Yet we use our privilege to justify exterminating other species. The Supreme Court’s order on #straydogs not only lacks empathy but shows an ignorance of basic evolutionary biology.”
Another wrote:
“If you’ve never loved a stray dog, you’ve missed the purest love there is and that loss is yours alone. This judgment doesn’t just break laws, it breaks compassion. It violates the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, overrides animal welfare laws, and tramples the duties our Constitution asks of us. We owe our strays better.”
A further post warned: “The Supreme Court order on stray dogs in Delhi is nothing but a death sentence for every single stray on every single street in the national capital — and each one of us needs to raise our voice against it.”
Others called for careful implementation: “Let’s hope this is done with compassion, proper facilities, and a focus on their well-being, so every wagging tail finds comfort instead of fear.”
See some other reactions here:
Meanwhile, Delhi Police detained multiple animal rights activists, rescuers, caregivers, and dog lovers who had gathered at India Gate to oppose the decision. Protesters described the ruling as inhumane and warned that existing shelter conditions were already poor.
PETA India Advocacy Associate Shaurya Agrawal described the ruling as “impractical” and “illogical,” claiming it contravened the Animal Birth Control Rules.
“Delhi has approximately 10 lakh stray dogs — it is simply impossible to house them all in shelters,” he said.
He added: “This is going to create chaos and problems. Removal of dogs is inhumane, is cruelty in itself, and the conditions within the shelters are going to be very bad… We are exploring all our legal avenues. In the past, we have met the Delhi government and urged them to implement the ABC rules properly and the sterilisation programmes in the city.”
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