A suo moto case concerning the stray dog issue in the Delhi-NCR has been referred to a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, with the hearing scheduled for tomorrow. The new bench will include Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta, and Justice N.V. Anjaria.7The new bench will include Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta, and Justice N.V. Anjaria.
This development follows an order passed on August 11, 2025, by a two-judge bench comprised of Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice R. Mahadevan. The original two-judge bench’s order included several directives to address the escalating problem of stray dog bites, a situation they described as “extremely grim”.
Court Calls For Immediate Action
In response, the court issued a series of “immediate action” directives, granting what some might view as broad and “indiscriminate” powers to authorities. The Government of NCT of Delhi, MCD, NDMC, and authorities in Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, and Faridabad were directed to “at the earliest start picking up stray dogs from all localities” and relocate them to shelters. The order explicitly stated that if any individual or organization obstructs this process, “the strictest of actions” would be taken against them. The court also made it “abundantly clear” that under no circumstances should a dog picked up from the street be released back.
This direction directly contradicts the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, which stipulate that sterilized and immunized dogs must be released at the same place they were captured from. The court argued that the 2023 Rules were “inadequate” and “do not address the problem”. The order also mandated the simultaneous creation of dog shelters and pounds across the NCR to house the relocated strays.
The court further warned against any “lethargy” from authorities on the pretext of awaiting shelter creation, stating that they would “proceed to take strict action”.
Interestingly, the Supreme Court’s order does not specify how many shelters for stray dogs exist in Delhi-NCR, as no data on the same has been shared or sought. Instead, the Apex Court has directed the authorities to “immediately create” such infrastructure. The court recognized that this would be a “progressive exercise” and directed authorities to begin by creating shelters for “say 5,000 dogs in the next six-eight weeks”. The court has also called for a status report on the creation of this infrastructure within eight weeks.
Surge In Cases Of Dog Bites
The court’s decision was driven by alarming data presented by the learned Amicus, Mr. Gaurav Agrawal. He noted a significant increase in dog bite cases, with 3,715,713 reported in India in 2024. Delhi alone recorded 25,210 bites in 2024, and 3,196 in January 2025. This increase, the court observed, is linked to the growing stray dog population. The order highlights that these incidents cause immense pain and suffering, especially to vulnerable groups like children, the elderly, and the disabled. The court also noted that stray dogs contribute to numerous road accidents and that the lack of awareness about proper post-bite medical treatment can lead to a “very painful death” from rabies.
Swastika Sruti is a Senior Sub Editor at NewsX Digital with 5 years of experience shaping stories that matter. She loves tracking politics- national and global trends, and never misses a chance to dig deeper into policies and developments. Passionate about what’s happening around us, she brings sharp insight and clarity to every piece she works on. When not curating news, she’s busy exploring what’s next in the world of public interest. You can reach her at [swastika.newsx@gmail.com]
