In a major ruling aimed at addressing the escalating crisis of dog attacks across the country, the Supreme Court of India on Tuesday firmly refused to modify or recall its landmark November 7, 2025 order regarding the relocation and sterilisation of stray dogs, according to a report by PTI.
The SC said that the right to live with dignity also includes the right to live without fear of attacks by stray dogs, the report mentioned.
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria dismissed a batch of applications and pleas seeking changes to the directions, while also rejecting challenges to the validity of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) issued by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), as per the report.
The apex court issued several directions to States, Union Territories and statutory bodies to improve infrastructure for dealing with stray dogs. It observed that there has been a “discernible absence” of sustained and systematic efforts by States and UTs to control the growing stray dog population. The bench said the implementation of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) framework has remained “sporadic, underfunded and uneven across jurisdictions,” the news agency reported.
What did the SC say on stray dog attacks?
The bench further said that the right to live with dignity includes the right to live freely without the threat of harm from dog bites. It noted that the court cannot ignore ground realities where children, elderly people and international travellers have become victims of dog bite incidents.
The court directed States and Union Territories to work in coordination and strengthen infrastructure to tackle the stray dog issue.
What were the SC’s earlier directions?
On January 29, the apex court had reserved its verdict on petitions seeking changes to its November 7 order on relocation and sterilisation of stray dogs. During the hearing, the court had expressed dissatisfaction with the efforts made by Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in following its directions, as per PTI.
Earlier, on November 7 last year, the top court had taken note of the “alarming rise” in dog-bite cases in places such as educational institutions, hospitals and railway stations. It had ordered that stray dogs should be relocated to designated shelters after sterilisation and vaccination.
The court had also said that stray dogs picked up by authorities should not be released back to the same location. It further directed authorities to remove cattle and other stray animals from state highways, national highways and expressways, the report mentioned.
The Supreme Court is hearing a suo motu case that was initiated on July 28 last year based on media reports about stray dog bites leading to rabies cases, especially among children, in the national capital.