As the news has already been in headlines for a few days now, the Supreme Court of India, recently initiated suo motu proceedings for the case titled In Re. City Hounded by Strays, Kids Pay Price after an article was published by the Times of India dated 28-07-2025. The report mentioned the alarming statistics related to the attacks by the stray dog, especially those which took place in the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR), which are an average of 2,000 dog bite cases per day in Delhi only.
The Apex Court recognising the issue expressed deep concerns over the issue especially for vulnerable groups including young children, elderly, as well as visually impaired individuals—who are at grave risks when navigating public streets.
Transfer of the Case to a Larger Bench
- Dated 11-08-2025, a two-judge Bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan directed the concerned authorities to move stray dogs in the Delhi NCR region to shelters. However, the directions were challenged as the decision of the Bench was found to be in conflict with prior orders from the Supreme Court.
- As a result, the case was then transferred to a three-judge Bench including Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria, which has reserved its decision
Observations by the Court
- It was emphasised by the Court that the matter was being considered after a continuous systemic failure by the authorities and not on mere impulse. The Court further stressed that the streets should not be places of fear and vulnerability.
- “We are conscious and sensitive of co-existence. The idea behind co-existence is not the existence of one’s life at the cost of another.” The Apex Court pointed out that no individual is below the law, highlighting the duty of the judiciary to safeguard the dignity of all citizens, especially those who have been living in poverty and are unable to access medical treatments for these dog bites.
- Also, the Court expressed that while it respected genuine concern for animal welfare, virtue signaling won’t be validated. The Court called on the citizens to take personal responsibilities for the stray dogs by adopting them or supporting the numerous animal shelters rather than leaving the burden on the government completely.
Supreme Court Directions as Were Issued on 11-08-2025
1. Immediate action is required to be taken on the Stray Dogs
- The Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, and Faridabad Authorities have been directed to catch these stray dogs, from high-risk areas especially.
- For the process a special task force could be formed, and that any obstruction to this process shall be dealt with strict legal consequences.
2. Shelters to be Created-
- Authorities are required to establish shelters/pounds across the NCR within a period of 8 weeks.
- These shelters should be properly staffed, with appropriate medical care, as well as facilities of sterilisation, immunisation, CCTV monitoring, and there shall be no overcrowding.
3. Strict guidelines were issued for welfare-
- No cruelty is permitted as the dogs should be treated in a humanely manner
- Also special provisions were ordered for weak or vulnerable dogs to be kept separately when possible.
4. Not to be Re-released to the Streets
- As per the directions from the Supreme Court in the order passed on 11th Aug, these dogs cannot be released and must be sheltered permanently, and should be marked and tracked.
5. Helpline & Response System to be established
- The related authorities have been directed by the Apex Court to issue a helpline within a week.
- When a complaint of dog bite is received, such dog must be captured within four hours. Non-compliance of these guidelines shall result in court proceedings.
6. Medical treatments-
- Victims of these dog bites should be provided with immediate medical attention, and a monthly report regarding the availability of genuine rabies vaccine should be released regularly.
7. Regulations regarding the Adoptions of dogs-
- Adoptions of the dogs shall take place under the Standard Protocol for Adoption of Community Animals (2022) only.
- Such adopted dog could not be returned to public spaces.
Case in the Delhi HC Matter Merged
A similar case which was pending before the Delhi High Court, titled Parthima Devi v. MCD, was transferred to the Supreme Court due to overlapping issues.
Final Verdict- Pending
Dated 14-08-2025, the three-judge Bench reserved its order on the pleas challenging the above mentioned August 11 directions.
The matter shall be heard again in four weeks, when a comprehensive status report would be submitted from all concerned authorities.
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