Supreme Court’s big crackdown on stray dog menace ignites heated debate

In a strong rebuke to animal rights activists and dog lovers, the Supreme Court on Monday came down heavily on those allegedly obstructing civic bodies from tackling the country’s stray dog crisis. 

The top court directed the Delhi government and local bodies to immediately capture stray dogs, detain them in pounds created across the national capital territory and never let them loose back into public spaces.

A bench headed by Justice JB Pardiwala posed a pointed question, “Will these animal activists and dog lovers bring back the children who have been affected by rabies?”

SC terms the situation 'extremely serious'

Authorities have been directed by the SC to immediately start relocating stray dogs from public parks, streets, and other public places to ensure the safety of children and senior citizens. 

The court also ordered the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to create shelters for at least 5,000 stray dogs within the next six to eight weeks. If necessary, the court said, a special force should be constituted to handle the issue.

In a warning that underscored its intent, the court stated that any individual or organisation obstructing these operations would face contempt proceedings. “If any individual or organisation comes in the way of authorities picking up the stray dogs, we will take action against them,” Justice Pardiwala said.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta assured the bench that the government would implement the directives without delay. “We are unable to see the helplessness in the eyes of the parents when children die in their lap,” he told the court, emphasising the urgency of the situation.

“Have you seen Western movies?. There is one called ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’. When Ugly is lying in a soap-filled bathtub, his assailant comes to kill him. The man says he had been searching for Ugly for a long time. Ugly shoots him without a word and says if you have to shoot a man, shoot and don’t talk. So, no talk. It is time to act and now,” Justice Pardiwala told SG Mehta.

“Since this is a progressive exercise, shelters have to be increased over time. The action should inspire confidence in the minds of the people, young and old, that they can move around freely on roads without any fear of being bitten by strays. No sentiments should be involved in the entire exercise,” the bench stated.

The dog shelters must be put under CCTV surveillance in order to ensure the dogs are neither released nor taken out. Authorities must maintain a record of strays captured and housed in pounds and produce the records in court.

“Not a single dog picked up shall be released back on the streets. Otherwise, the entire exercise will go futile. If we come to know that the release of captured dogs has happened, we shall take stern action. If any person or organisation comes in the way of authorities picking up strays, we shall take strict action. We have only the larger public interest in our minds, infants and young children should not at any cost fall prey to such dog bites leading to rabies,” the court observed adding that helpline should be started for public to report the incidents of dog bites.

“All cases of dog bites are to be immediately reported. Action must be taken to catch, pick up, and round up the dog within four hours of the complaint received," the bench noted.

The court was hearing a suo motu case on the increasing instances of stray dog attacks on children, including infants. 

'Diverse public opinion'

The ruling has split public opinion. Animal rights groups, however, condemned the decision as regressive and dangerously open-ended.

Social media saw a flood of posts from dog lovers calling for balanced solutions such as mass vaccination, strict enforcement of ABC rules, and public awareness rather than what they called a catch-and-dump approach.

The MCD now faces a steep logistical challenge in meeting the court’s 6–8 week deadline for shelters, staffing, and enforcement.