Supreme Court Modifies Stray Dog Order, Mandates Release After Sterilization But Bans Public Feeding

In a landmark decision on August 22, 2025, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court of India delivered a modified order concerning the ongoing issue of stray dogs, a matter it took up suo moto on July 28, 2025. This new ruling significantly alters the court’s earlier order from August 11, 2025, while maintaining other crucial provisions. The Court’s latest directive addresses concerns raised by animal rights activists and organizations who had sought a stay on the previous order.

What The Latest Order States

The new order directly modifies the August 11 directive. The prohibition on releasing stray dogs from shelters has been “stayed”. The new ruling now permits the release of stray dogs back into their original locations after they have undergone sterilization, deworming, and immunization as required by the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023. The Court has made a clear exception for dogs with rabies or those exhibiting aggressive behavior, which are not to be released back into public spaces and should be kept in separate shelters.
A major new provision is the regulation of feeding stray dogs. The Court has prohibited the public feeding of dogs on the streets. Instead, it has directed civic bodies, such as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), to create dedicated feeding areas in each municipal ward, with clear notice boards indicating these zones. The court has warned that individuals found feeding stray dogs on the streets would be liable for legal action. Furthermore, the court has expanded the scope of the matter “pan-India,” impleading all states and union territories and directing the transfer of all pending stray dog-related petitions from various High Courts to the Supreme Court for a single, comprehensive hearing. The next hearing for the matter has been scheduled after eight weeks.

What The Previous Order Stated 

The original order, issued by a two-judge bench, was a stern response to a news report titled “City Hounded by Strays, Kids Pay Price,” which highlighted a child’s death from rabies following a dog attack. The court had directed authorities in Delhi and the NCR to “scrupulously” comply with several directives. The most contentious of these was the mandate to pick up and round up all stray dogs from localities and “relocate these dogs into designated shelters/pounds”. Critically, the previous order explicitly stated that these dogs, after their relocation, should “in no circumstances” be released back onto the streets. Authorities were also instructed to create new dog shelters and pounds and to begin both the rounding up of dogs and the creation of infrastructure simultaneously. The court also issued a warning, stating that any obstruction by individuals or organizations would be treated as contempt of court.

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