The Supreme Court on August 11, 2025 directed the authorities concerned in the National Capital Territory of Delhi to immediately begin removing free-ranging dogs from localities and transferring them to dog shelters.
The directives come after the apex court on July 28, 2025 took suo motu cognisance of a news report about children and infants falling prey to rabies due to unvaccinated, free-ranging dogs.
As reported by legal news website Live Law, the court also warned that individuals or organisations obstructing the work of official institutions would face legal consequences. Authorities may use force if necessary to capture the strays, the court said.
Once picked up and placed in shelters, these dogs will not be released into public spaces.
After hearing recommendations by senior advocate and Amicus Curiae Gaurav Agarwal and Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, the bench comprising Justice J B Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan issued directions:
“Infants and young children, not at any cost, should fall prey to rabies. The action should inspire confidence that they can move freely without fear of being bitten by stray dogs. No sentiments should be involved,” the court noted, as per Live Law.
According to a study published by the Indian Council of Medical Research in January 2025, an estimated 5,726 human rabies deaths occur annually in India, with 95 per cent of them attributable to dog bites.
The incidence of dog bites was higher among children aged 0-14 years and the elderly aged over 60 years, the study stated.
A separate study, published in the journal Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health, found that India accounts for approximately one-third of the global rabies burden each year.
Currently, India’s Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, place the onus of sterilising pet dogs on their owners and for free-ranging dogs, on the local administration. Once sterilised or vaccinated, the dogs are typically returned to their original habitat.
During the hearing, Justice Pardiwala questioned this procedure: “Whether sterilised or not, society should be free from stray dogs. You should not find a single stray dog moving around in any locality of the city or on the outskirts. It’s the first step. We have noticed one very absurd and unreasonable rule: If you pick up a stray dog from one part, you sterilise the dog and put him back in the same place — that’s absolutely absurd and doesn’t make any sense at all. Why should that stray dog come back to the locality and for what?” Justice Pardiwala asked, as per Live Law.
Seeking immediate intervention from the apex court, Mehta, representing the Delhi government, sought a remedy for the situation. Mehta argued that sterilisation only prevents population growth but does not prevent the spread of rabies by infected dogs.
The bench, in its order, observed that the situation was extremely grim and urged immediate steps to tackle the menace of dog bites resulting in rabies.
Justice Pardiwala’s first direction was to begin picking up all free-ranging dogs at the earliest, by all possible means and relocating them far from residential areas. It was further directed that the capacity of dog shelters be increased over time, starting with space for 5,000 dogs in the next eight weeks, prioritising vulnerable localities and cities, including the outskirts.
The court asked the authorities to address the issue and create the necessary enforcement capacity to ensure all localities are free of free-ranging dogs. “The State of NCT Delhi, Municipal Corporation of Delhi and New Delhi Municipal Council are directed to immediately set up dog shelters and report on the creation of infrastructure across the State of NCT Delhi within eight weeks. The dog shelters shall have sufficient personnel for sterilising and immunising stray dogs and for looking after those detained there, who shall not be released into public spaces. They will be monitored by CCTV to ensure no dogs are taken out,” the bench stated.
The directions also stated that the local government authorities of Noida and Gurugram will comply and maintain a daily record of the number of free-ranging dogs captured and detained.
It warned that not a single captured dog should be released and that stern action would be taken if any were found to have been released.
The court also ordered the creation of a helpline within a week for residents to report cases of dog bites and rabies, with immediate action to be taken within four hours of receiving a complaint. The dogs will be sterilised but not released, the directives stated.
Taking note of a shortage of vaccines, it instructed the concerned authorities to provide detailed information on vaccine availability.
A progress report on the implementation of these directives is expected before the next hearing.
Abi T Vanak, senior fellow at non-profit Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology & the Environment, Bengaluru, described the Supreme Court’s order as “an important step that will ultimately reframe our relationship with dogs and treat them as they should be — as valuable companion animals, rather than disposable objects of performative compassion.”
In contrast, animal welfare activist Gauri Maulekhi criticised the ruling, calling it “a death sentence for our community animals” in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “The court has ignored Animal Birth Control rules, dismissed inputs from intervening parties and even cited a Western movie dialogue to justify its stance. All this despite zero human rabies deaths recorded in Delhi in the past three years,” she wrote.