Taking cognisance of a news report about a six-year-old girl’s death due to rabies, a Supreme Court bench comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan issued a suo moto order on August 11, 2025, directing authorities in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) to relocate all stray dogs to shelters within eight weeks. The order barred the return of stray dogs to public spaces, mandated their sterilisation, vaccination, and de-worming, and required shelters to be equipped with CCTV surveillance, sufficient staffing, and adequate provisions for food and medical care. Observing that it was sympathetic to dogs’ lives, the bench ordered that the picked up dogs should not be subjected to any mistreatment, cruelty or deplorable standards of care.
Subsequently, the matter was mentioned before the Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, with submissions highlighting that multiple Supreme Court proceedings concerning stray dogs were pending before different benches, potentially leading to conflicting directives. The Chief Justice assured that the issue would be reviewed, and the case was directed to be listed before a three-judge Bench.
On August 7, 2025, the suo moto matter, along with similar other matters, was listed before a three-bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria. The bench heard the arguments and reserved its order. It pronounced an order on August 22 modifying the August 11 order. It stayed the prohibition on the release of stray dogs and directed their release to their area after deworming and vaccination.
Next Date: October 28, 2025 (Tentative)
Matters:
- SMW No. No. 5/2025 – In Re: “City Hounded By Strays, Kids Pay Price
- Writ Petition (C) No. 784/2025 – Aditya Jha v. Municipal Corporation Of Delhi And Ors.
- SLP (C) No. 14763/2024 – Conference For Human Rights (India) (Regd.) v. Union Of India and Ors.
- SLP (C) No. 17623/2025 – Reema Shah Sunil Prakash Sharma v. State of U.P. and Ors.
Amicus Curaie: Senior Advocate Gaurav Agarwal
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Justice Vikram Nath
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Justice Sandeep Mehta
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Justice N.V. Anjaria