Supreme Court’s Order on Stray Dogs

Why in News?

The Supreme Court recently ordered the removal of stray dogs immediately from public places and relocate them to a designated shelter, after due sterilization and vaccination in accordance with the animal birth control rules.

• Supreme Court’s Direction – To be implemented uniformly across India with status compliance certificates within a period of 8 weeks.
• It specified that the stray dogs so picked up shall not be released back to the same location from which they were picked up.
• Reason - India’s is one of the world’s largest populations of cats and dogs.
• India’s stray animal crisis has become a serious public health issue.
• The 2025 report by The State of Pet Homelessness Project estimates that the country has 100.09 million cats and dogs, including 85.61 million dogs and 14.48 million cats.
• The majority of this population, 71% of India’s dogs and 61% of India’s cats are homeless.
• The Union Health Ministry recorded 3.7 million dog bite cases in 2024 alone. According to official data, 99% of rabies deaths in India are caused by dog bites.
• Rabies, if untreated, is nearly always fatal once symptoms appear, leading to either the furious or paralytic forms of the disease.
• Legal Framework in India - India’s current legal framework for managing street animals is the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023.
• The rules require local bodies including municipalities and panchayats to carry out sterilization and vaccination programs for stray dogs and cats through organizations.
• Vaccination programs are approved by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI).
• The process must be humane, ensuring no cruelty during capture, surgery, or release.
• The policy follows the “Catch-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return” (CNVR) method which prohibits relocating animals outside their original areas to maintain ecological balance and reduce aggression among packs.
• The rules also outline minimum standards for Animal Birth Control Centres, including adequate kennel capacity and access to veterinary hospitals managed by local authorities or animal welfare groups.

Reference

The Indian Express | India’s stray animal crisis