Supreme Court Issues Key Ruling On Stray Dogs In Delhi-NCR: Major Highlights

The Supreme Court ordered the Delhi government Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) to start removing stray dogs from all localities in Delhi. A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan said that all localities should be made free of stray dogs and there should not be any compromise.

The Court was hearing a suo motu case initiated by it over umpteen incidents of rabies and deaths from stray dog bites.

“NCT Delhi, MCD, NMDC shall at earlier start picking up stray dogs from all localities from more particularly vulnerable localities. How to do it is for the authorities to look into and if they have to create a force, do it at earliest. However, this should be the first and foremost exercise to make all localities free of stray dogs. There should not be any compromise in undertaking the exercise,” the Bench said.

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While giving out the order on stray dogs removal in Delhi, the Supreme Court said, Will animal rights activists bring back Rabies victims?

“The Bench said that if any individual or organisation creates obstruction to the exercise, the Court will take strict action against them”.

In its order on stray dogs, the Supreme Court has ruled the following

• Remove stray dogs from all localities in Delhi-NCR
• Contempt of court action against animal activists who obstruct removal
• Delhi government, MCD, NDMC should create dog shelters within 8 weeks
• Maintain a record of stray dogs captured and detained
• Not a single stray dog should be released
• Create a helpline within one week to report dog bites
• Publish details about places where Rabies vacancies are available

Animal Rights Activist Maneka Gandhi spoke on the Supreme Court’s ruling to remove all stray dogs from the Delhi-NCR streets within 8 weeks. She says, “This judgment is a suo motu case, which means nobody complained; the judge took it up on his own. We were expecting something like this anyway”.

“Now, if this order is to be followed, it would mean rounding up three lakh dogs in Delhi and placing them in centres. The Delhi government would need to find 1,000–2,000 centres, as too many dogs together would fight. They would first need land, then construct facilities within eight weeks, costing at least Rs 4-5 crore, with caretakers, feeders, and watchmen to prevent escapes. This judgment seems to lack rational thought and stems from anger. Strangely, the order is based on a newspaper report of a child killed by dogs, but the family has confirmed the child died of meningitis”, she added.

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Meanwhile PETA India has also responded by calling the order cruel and non-effective.

The Supreme Court has directed the removal of community dogs in Delhi! 😲
Not only is this cruel, displacement has NEVER worked.#CommunityAnimals #Delhi #SupremeCourt #AnimalRights #PETAIndia pic.twitter.com/UUK39U5Dsu

— PETA India (@PetaIndia) August 11, 2025