The Supreme Court on Wednesday expressed displeasure over states' inadequate measures to address the stray dogs menace. The bench highlighted serious gaps in sterilisation, dog pounds, and removal of animals from institutional areas. It warned that chief secretaries could be summoned again if no tangible improvements are seen.
A bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria reviewed states' efforts to control stray dogs during a hearing on Wednesday. The case, taken up suo motu by the court last July, concerns the implementation of Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules and prior directions on removing stray animals from highways and sensitive areas like hospitals and schools.
Amicus curiae Gaurav Agarwal summarized states' affidavits, assessing them on four parameters: functioning of ABC centres, availability of shelters and dog pounds, removal of animals from institutional areas, and measures to prevent strays from entering highways. He noted a widespread lack of audits, timelines, and capacity planning.
The court expressed shock at Assam's figures, with 166,000 dog bite cases in 2024 and 20,900 in January 2025 alone. "This is astonishing… this is shocking," the bench remarked, pointing out the state has only one functional dog centre. Jharkhand's claim of sterilizing 160,000 dogs in two months was dismissed as "absolutely fudged-up figures."
In Bihar, 34 ABC centres have sterilized 20,648 dogs, deemed insufficient for an estimated 600,000 strays. Gujarat provided no information on dog pounds, Haryana was silent on institutional removals, and Karnataka identified strays but removed none. The court flagged concerns for tourism in Goa and Kerala, where releasing dogs on beaches could harm the industry.
Maharashtra was commended for its online dashboard tracking bites, sterilisations, and facilities. The bench reiterated November 2025 interim orders requiring fencing of institutions and non-release of removed dogs. The hearing continues on Thursday.
