A Legal Tug-of-War Over Delhi’s Street Dogs: Conflicting Court Orders and Public Outcry
How we got here, what the law actually says, why the government is pushing removals—and what Delhiites think about it.
On August 11, 2025, a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court ordered that all stray dogs in the Delhi-NCR area must be moved to shelters within eight weeks. This decision came after the Court took up the issue on its own (suo motu), following reports of increasing dog-bite and rabies cases, including the death of a six-year-old girl.
However, this order clashed with existing rules—the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023—which require that stray dogs, after being sterilised and vaccinated, must be returned to the same area they came from. The judges called this rule “absurd.”
In the past, the Supreme Court had also supported a Delhi High Court ruling that allowed people to feed and care for stray dogs in their local areas. Due to public outcry and confusion over the law, the Chief Justice has now referred the matter to a larger, three-judge bench, which will hear the case on August 14, 2025, to clear up these conflicting decisions.
The law & the clash: ABC vs. removal to shelters
ABC Rules, 2023 (Central Government policy): Stray dogs should be caught, sterilised, vaccinated, and then returned to the same place. Bites should be controlled through vaccination, sterilisation, public awareness, and setting up feeding spots.
Supreme Court order (August 11, 2025): All stray dogs in Delhi-NCR must be captured and moved to shelters within eight weeks. They should not be sent back to the streets. This was ordered due to rising dog-bite and rabies cases.
Earlier Court position: In 2021, the Delhi High Court said people have the right to feed and care for community dogs in their areas. The Supreme Court had not overturned this.
- The core issue: One legal view says stray dogs should be sterilised and returned to their area.
The new view says they should be removed and kept in shelters for public safety.
Why the government is pushing this?
Officials and courts are worried about public safety. Delhi has been seeing tens of thousands of dog-bite cases every year—for example, 68,090 bites were reported in 2024. Some media reports say there are around 2,000 bites per day in Delhi. There have also been several rabies cases and some tragic deaths, including of children. That’s why the court and the government want quick action.
Their goal is simple: fewer dogs on the streets = fewer bites, especially in sensitive places like schools, markets, and bus/train stations.
Is the decision to move stray dogs to shelters right or wrong?
Let’s look at both sides :
Quick risk reduction: Taking dogs off the streets may reduce bite incidents faster, while longer-term plans are still being put in place.
Clearer enforcement: It’s easier for officials to follow one clear rule—“move all dogs to shelters”—instead of trying to manage sterilisation and care differently in each area.
Goes against current policy and science: The current national rule says sterilise and return dogs to stop new ones from coming in. If you remove dogs, new strays often move in from nearby areas—this is called the vacuum effect.
Not enough shelters or money: Delhi-NCR doesn’t have enough space or resources to house all stray dogs humanely. Shelters are already overcrowded, and building more will be expensive and difficult.
In short:
Supporters say it’s about saving lives and making public spaces safer.
Opponents say it’s not practical, goes against expert advice, and could make things worse in the long run.
Public opinion: A divided city
People in Delhi have very different views on the court’s order to move all stray dogs to shelters.
Against the order:
Animal rights groups and public figures like Maneka Gandhi say the plan is impractical, unworkable, and too expensive.
They argue that the government should stick to the ABC rules (sterilise, vaccinate, return) and talk to all stakeholders before making such a big move.
Protests have broken out in central Delhi.
Many dog caregivers worry that taking dogs off the streets will harm the animals and go against humane, science-based methods of control.
In support of the order:
Families of bite victims and many concerned residents support the strong action, especially after recent attacks.
They say the safety of people, especially children, must come first, and they welcome the court’s tough stand.
Animal welfare and city balance: Overcrowded shelters can lead to disease and suffering for the dogs. Also, removing dogs suddenly can upset the urban balance—it could lead to more rats or monkeys in some areas.
The city is split some want stray dogs protected and managed humanely, others want them off the streets for public safety.
What capacity would Delhi actually need?
Even with cautious estimates, the scale of the task is huge. To shelter all stray dogs, Delhi would need:
- A lot of land
Thousands of kennels
Vets and trained staff
Food and medical supplies
Transport vehicles
Waste disposal systems
Reports have pointed out that the cost would be massive, and right now, Delhi barely has any large, permanent government-run shelters. So, trying to do all this in just eight weeks seems very difficult and unrealistic.
Where the case stands now ?
The Chief Justice of India (CJI) has referred the August 11 order to a three-judge bench (Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, N.V. Anjaria) for review on August 14, 2025, due to its conflict with previous rulings and policies. The bench may:
Uphold the mandate for removal-to-shelters,
Reinstate the ABC-and-release approach as the primary method, or
Develop a compromise approach, involving targeted removals in high-risk areas, alongside ABC, vaccination, and public education efforts.
The bench’s decision will significantly impact the ongoing strategy to manage public health and safety concerns. It will need to balance public welfare with practical challenges in implementation. The ruling will likely set a precedent for similar future cases.
A practical middle path could look like the following:
Hotspot-focused removals for aggressive/rabies-suspect packs, with due process and welfare standards, not blanket sweeps. This approach ensures that only high-risk areas are targeted, reducing unnecessary harm to healthy animals. It also respects the rights of animals and communities, with a clear protocol for removal, ensuring minimal disruption to both public safety and animal welfare.
ABC at scale: Surge funding to sterilize and vaccinate quickly, on a ward-by-ward basis. This would allow for a rapid, comprehensive approach to controlling the stray population. Local governments would need to be involved to streamline the implementation of ABC programs, ensuring both effectiveness and sustainability. By focusing on scaling up, it reduces the chances of future overpopulation and its related issues.
Shelter capacity with standards: Limit intake to what can be housed humanely; publish occupancy, mortality, and adoption metrics. This ensures shelters are not overwhelmed and that animals are cared for in environments that meet established welfare standards. Transparency in shelter operations will build public trust and ensure that resources are allocated effectively for long-term management.
Data-led public health: Transparent bite/rabies dashboards; school-level prevention education; free post-exposure prophylaxis access. Public awareness and access to timely information are key to controlling rabies outbreaks. A real-time dashboard would help track incidents, while school programs could create a future generation more mindful of animal welfare. Easy access to post-exposure treatments will prevent the spread of diseases and save lives.
Civic co-management: Recognised feeders assigned to designated points; penalties for illegal breeding, backyard meat waste, and cruelty. By involving the community in managing animal populations, we create a cooperative and sustainable system. Recognising responsible feeders will reduce the risk of overcrowded, unsanitary conditions while enforcing stricter penalties will discourage unethical practices and ensure better control over the stray population.
Conclusion: Striking the Right Balance Between Public Safety, Policy, and Animal Welfare in India
