BREAKING | 'Dog Bite Menace Rising' : Supreme Court Refuses To Modify Directions To Remove Stray Dogs From Public Places
Amisha Shrivastava
19 May 2026 10:45 AM IST
The Court allowed euthanasia of rabid and aggressive dogs.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to recall its earlier directions that stray dogs picked up from public places like hospitals, bus stands, schools, railway stations etc., must not be released to the same place after vaccination/sterilisation.
The bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta and Justice NV Anjaria dismissed a bunch of applications seeking modifications to the directions issued by the Court in November last year. In other words, the stray dogs picked up by authorities from the premises of public places must be confined to shelters.
The Court also dismissed applications challenging the Standard Operating Procedure issued by the Animal Welfare Board of India. In the judgment pronounced today, the Court referred to reports about "deeply disturbing incidents" of dog attacks against children. Young children have been mauled, old people attacked, and even international travellers have faced dog attacks.
The Court blamed the State authorities for failing in their duty to protect the lives of the people from dog attacks.
"The menace of dog bites has extended to public places of critical areas, including airports and residential areas," the Court noted, after referring to various news reports.
The Court said that the problem had a "staggering dimension" and the "continued recurring of such incidents" reflected a deficiency in implementation of the directions.
The Court directed that erring officials, who fail to carry out the directions, will be liable to contempt and disciplinary action.
"Right to life with dignity encompasses the right to life freely without threat of harm from a dog bite attack. The state cannot remain a passive spectator. The court cannot remain oblivious to harsh ground realities where children, international travellers, old age people have fallen victim to dog bite incidents. The Constitution doesn't envisage a society where children, elderly people are to survive on the mercy of physical strength, chance..." the Justice Sandeep Mehta stated, pronouncing the judgment.
Directions issued today.
The following additional directions were issued by the Court today :
1. States/UTs shall take measures to enforce the Animal Welfare Board of India Rules.
2. States/UTs shall set up at least one Animal Birth Control (ABC) centre in one district.
3. States/UTs shall ensure adequate availability of anti-rabies vaccines and immunoglobulins.
4. Officials of the local bodies and institutions, who are duty-bound to implement the directions to secure the places from dogs, shall be entited to due protection for the performance of their duties. No FIRs or criminal complaints should be ordinarily registered against them for the performance of their duties.
5. Authorities may take measures as may be legally permissible, including euthanasia in case of rabid, dangerous dogs, to curb the threat to human life.
6. The High Courts are to register suo motu cases to monitor compliance with the directions.
7. Directions also issued to the NHAI to secure highways from the menace of stray cattle.
In November last year, the bench had passed a slew of directions to the authorities to ensure the removal of stray dogs from public places such as schools, hospitals, bus stands, railway stations, and sports complexes. The Court directed that the dogs must be shifted to shelters, and must not be released back to the same place from where they were picked.
The bench had also issued directions banning the feeding of dogs in streets, except in designated feeding spots.
Later, several applications were filed by dog lovers and animal rights groups to recall these directions. After elaborately hearing these applications, the bench reserved judgment on January 29.
Background
In July last year, a two-judge bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan took suo motu cognisance of a news article titled 'In City Hounded By Strays, Kids Pay Price' regarding the death of a child allegedly due to a dog bite. In August, the bench passed an extraordinary direction that all stray dogs in the National Capital Region must be picked up and confined to dog shelters. After the order generated a lot of outrage, the matter was shifted to a three judge bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta and Justice NV Anjaria. The three-judge bench later modified the direction of the two-judge bench and held that dogs must be released after vaccination and sterilisation.
The three-judge bench also expanded the scope of the matter pan-India. In November, the three-judge bench issued further directions for the removal of dogs from the premises of public institutions.
Case Title: In Re : 'City Hounded By Strays, Kids Pay Price', SMW(C) No. 5/2025 (and connected cases)
