The Supreme Court on Monday directed that all stray dogs in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) be rounded up within eight weeks and housed in dedicated dog shelters to be set up by civic authorities, making it clear that no captured animal will be released back on the streets.
A bench of justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan, hearing a petition registered on its own motion on the “alarming and disturbing” rise in stray dog attacks, also ordered contempt proceedings against any individual or organisation that attempts to obstruct the authorities from carrying out the capture drive. It further directed that authorities in Delhi-NCR must set up a helpline so all dog bite complaints can be registered, with the offending animal picked up “within four hours” of a complaint.
“Round up all stray dogs from all localities, including localities on the outskirts of Delhi, and shift them to some other place…Whether sterilised or not sterilised, the society must feel free and safe. You should not have any stray dog roaming around,” the bench told Delhi government, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and authorities in Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurugram .
It wasn’t immediately clear how these bodies would go about implementing an order that, according to many experts, has been brought about by their own ineptness in dealing with stray or community dogs. Currently, Delhi has a capacity to housearound 4,000 dogs in shelters, and the population of stray dogs in the Union territory is estimated at about a million. And even the court’s order to create shelters for 5,000 dogs will end up barely scratching the surface. MCD will now have to figure out the space to house these dogs, and muster the funds to feed and care for them.
Activists criticised the order and said it would be difficult to implement. They pointed out that they, and others like them, had stepped in to care for community dogs because of the failure of government agencies, and said the order could eventually see community dogs being culled.
Gauri Maulekhi, an activist and trustee at the People for Animals (PFA) called the judgment “unscientific, cruel and dangerous.”
“The court has ignored Animal Birth Control rules and dismissed inputs from intervening parties. The Supreme Court is overruling the codified law without hearing the other side. This order will be challenged. The existing shelters are run only by NGOs and private bodies. The court did not even consider the consequences of the sudden removal of stray dogs,” she said.
Estimates of deaths from rabies in India vary widely. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) puts it at around 5,700 a year. The National Rabies Control Programme (which comes under the health ministry) at 20,000, but other sources suggest far fewer numbers. According to data provided by the ministry of fisheries, animal husbandry and dairy in Parliament on April 1, between 2022 and 2025, Delhi reported no deaths on account of rabies. In 2024, according to the ministry, India recorded only 54 deaths on account of rabies; and in 2025 (till April), this number was 1.
To be sure, not all deaths from rabies are caused by dog bites; monkey bites cause some.
The court also criticised the existing practice under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules that mandates the release of sterilised dogs back into the same locality. “We have noticed some unreasonable and absurd rule that you pick one dog, sterilise them and bring them back to the same place. We fail to understand why you bring them back,” the bench remarked.
Indeed, the court’s ruling goes against established policies.
The court further remarked: “Forget the rules and face reality. These dogs are to be rounded up and captured immediately by whatever means. That’s how you can make children and senior citizens feel safe.”
The court was hearing Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who welcomed the court’s intervention, and senior advocate Gaurav Agrawal, appointed amicus curiae to assist the bench, who suggested that the ABC rule mandating release back into the same area “must go” since “there is no evidence that sterilisation stops dog bites or eliminates the threat of rabies.”
When senior advocate Sidharth Luthra sought to intervene on behalf of animal rights activist Gauri Maulekhi, the court refused. “All intervention applications are rejected. In the larger interest of people and the grim situation prevailing that has put the safety and lives of children, senior citizens and everyone else in peril, we will not entertain any intervention application.”
It stressed that its action was not motivated by public sentiment but by urgent safety concerns: “No sentiments of any nature should influence this matter. The actions have to be taken at the earliest… Will animal rights activists be able to bring back the lives lost? The children who have fallen prey to dog bites? It is now the time to act and save them.”
In a detailed order, the bench issued a series of binding directions to authorities in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurugram. “The Delhi government, MCD, NDMC and authorities in Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurugram will start picking stray dogs from all localities, particularly vulnerable localities, and areas in the outskirts. How to do it is for them, and if they have to create a force, they should do that. The first step has to make localities free of stray dogs. There cannot be compromise in this,” stated the bench.
It added that the authorities are directed to create dog shelters within eight weeks for 5,000 dogs. “These shelters must have personnel to sterilise and immunise the animals and “look after these dogs who will not be released back.” CCTV monitoring will ensure compliance, said the bench, emphasising that no dog should be released back in the street or public spaces.
“We direct the authorities to create a helpline so that all complaints of dog bites are immediately registered. Action of picking up dogs must be taken within four hours of a complaint of dog bite being lodged. Any act of creating impediment shall be viewed as contempt of this court. Such dogs shall not be released under any circumstances. They shall be sterilised and immunised as per the applicable rules,” directed the bench.
It also ordered that the Delhi government will publicise the availability and location of authentic rabies vaccines, noting the concern expressed by Agrawal regarding current shortage.
The bench reiterated that any hindrance or obstruction caused by individuals or organisations will be treated as contempt, warning: “We are doing this in larger public interest. Infants and children must not fall prey to dog bites and rabies…Actions should inspire in the minds of young and old alike that they can move freely without the fear of dog bites.”
The directions follow the court’s suo motu cognisance on July 28 following the death of six-year-old Chavi Sharma, who, according to some media reports, died from rabies in Delhi’s Pooth Kalan area. She was bitten on June 30 by a dog and succumbed on July 26 despite treatment.
On that day, the court called the situation “extremely troubling” and noted “reports of hundreds of dog bite incidents” in both urban and peripheral areas. The court had then directed that the matter be registered as a suo motu writ petition, setting the stage for Monday’s sweeping orders.
The matter will be heard again after six weeks for a compliance report.
