In a significant ruling the Supreme Court of India, with Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria at the helm, made a significant alteration to its earlier directives concerning the management of stray dogs. The court has now clarified that dogs apprehended under its August 11 order are to be returned to the streets following their sterilization and immunization, with the exception of those afflicted with rabies or displaying aggressive behavior.

This ruling is a recalibration of the court’s earlier stance by a two-judge bench which had prohibited authorities from releasing captured strays, issuing warnings of possible contempt proceedings for any laxity in adherence to these rules.

The latest modification has lifted this restriction, representing a notable shift in the interim framework surrounding this issue.

While articulating the operative part of the order during proceedings, Justice Nath stated that, "It is still an interim direction. We have expanded the scope pan-India and have issued notices to all states and UTs, notices to concerned departments, since there are various similar matters pending before this court so that a national policy could be framed to deal with the issue. We have suggested some modifications in the previous order."

Reiterating the importance of managing the stray dog population, the court instructed municipal authorities in regions such as Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, and Faridabad to initiate the mass capture of strays and establish shelters for their relocation.

Reports regarding the creation of the necessary infrastructure across NCR will need to be submitted to the court.

Furthermore, the bench amended its previous directive regarding the release of dogs, now stipulating that only rabid or aggressive dogs should be withheld from being returned after sterilization and immunization. In a further directive, the court mandated the establishment of designated feeding areas within each municipal ward, making it clear that feeding stray dogs in public locations would not be tolerated under any circumstances.

"If violated, they will be proceeded under law," the order emphasized.

In addition, the bench firmly stated "Each individual dog lover and each NGO that has approached this Court shall deposit a sum of ₹25,000 and ₹2 lakh respectively with the Registry within 7 days, failing which they shall not be allowed to appear in the matter any further. The amounts deposited shall be utilised in the creation of infrastructure and facilities for the stray dogs…”

Appearance: Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, Senior Advocate Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra, Senior Advocate Krishnan Venugopal, Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves, Senior Advocate Aman Lekhi, Senior Advocate Siddharth Dave, and Additional Solicitor General Archana Pathak Dave, representing the MCD

Case Details: IN RE : 'CITY HOUNDED BY STRAYS, KIDS PAY PRICE'|SMW(C) No. 5/2025