Supreme Court slams States for ignoring stray dog order, cites global embarrassment
New Delhi – The Supreme Court on Monday lashed out at state governments for ignoring its August order to capture, sterilize, and release stray dogs. The court demanded immediate compliance reports, accusing states of negligence and delay.
The three-judge bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria expressed anger after learning that most states failed to file affidavits confirming action. The judges said the country’s image was suffering because of their inaction. “Your country is being portrayed in a bad light internationally,” the bench remarked.
Since the August directive, dog attacks have continued across India. In Maharashtra’s Pune, a child was mauled last month. Days earlier, 20 dogs attacked another young girl in Bhandara district. In Kerala’s Kannur, a man performing a street play on stray dogs became a victim himself. Recent reports from Lucknow and Telangana’s Warangal described more attacks within 48 hours.
The court noted that only Bengal, Telangana, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi submitted replies. However, these arrived during the Diwali break and were not yet recorded. The Delhi government itself did not respond, prompting another sharp rebuke. “MCD filed a reply, but the Delhi government has not?” Justice Nath asked.
Frustrated by the inaction, the bench ordered all state and union territory chief secretaries to appear personally and explain the delay. “Don’t you read newspapers? Our August 22 order was widely reported,” the court said.
While most states stalled, Rajasthan began implementing the directive. Its Department of Autonomous Governance issued strict orders to all municipal bodies. The state instructed them to mark feeding points, work with resident welfare and animal welfare groups, and sterilize and tag all stray dogs before returning them to the same areas.
In Noida, officials launched a detailed survey last month to map stray dogs across the city. Authorities asked residents and welfare associations to report the status of sterilized, unsterilized, aggressive, and rabies-suspect dogs, along with photos. The effort aims to improve vaccination and sterilization drives.
Down south, the Greater Chennai Corporation stepped up control measures by mid-September. It vaccinated over 46,000 dogs against rabies and microchipped more than 12,000 for tracking. The initiative allows authorities to monitor each dog’s sterilization and vaccination status through geo-mapping.
The August 22 order had modified an earlier one from August 11. The Supreme Court clarified that stray dogs must be released only after sterilization and immunization. Dogs showing aggressive or rabid behavior are exceptions. The bench also directed all states to follow Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules strictly.
The ABC guidelines mandate sterilization and return of dogs to their localities to maintain population balance. The court had earlier ordered large-scale rounding up of strays in Delhi-NCR after multiple attacks on children. But after protests from animal welfare groups, the court revised its order, emphasizing sterilization and humane treatment instead.
Now, as attacks continue, the top court has made it clear: states must act immediately or face accountability.
