Stray Dogs Being Picked Even Though SC Order Is Yet To Be Uploaded’: Advocate Raises Urgent Concern Before CJI

Stray Dogs Being Picked Even Though SC Order Is Yet To Be Uploaded’: Advocate Raises Urgent Concern Before CJI

New Delhi, August 13 – The debate over Delhi-NCR’s stray dog population reached a dramatic turn on Monday evening when an urgent mention was made before the Chief Justice of India regarding reports that local authorities had begun picking up community dogs despite the official Supreme Court order not yet being uploaded on the apex court’s website.

The matter was raised by Advocate-on-Record Garima Sharma before a bench headed by Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran. Sharma told the court that in parts of West Delhi, stray dogs were already being collected by municipal teams around noon, triggering alarm among animal welfare groups and activists.

“In West Delhi, the strays were picked up at 12 o’clock,” she informed the bench.

The Chief Justice responded tersely, “I am looking into it,” indicating that the court would verify the situation.

The SC Order and Its Status

The concern stems from a Supreme Court direction issued on August 11, in which the bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R. Mahadevan instructed authorities in the National Capital Territory of Delhi to immediately start picking up stray dogs from all localities and relocate them to designated dog shelters.

The directions extended beyond Delhi, covering Noida, Gurugram, and Ghaziabad as well, making it a large-scale, multi-jurisdictional relocation initiative.

However, according to the Supreme Court’s official website, the August 11 order had not yet been uploaded at the time the urgent mention was made. This has created a procedural grey area — technically, until the written order is uploaded, enforcement action is considered premature.

Why the Order Was Issued

The relocation directive was triggered after the court took suo motu cognisance of a report published in The Times of India, which alleged that a six-year-old girl died from injuries sustained in a dog bite incident.

The judges expressed serious concern over the safety of residents, particularly children, in densely populated neighbourhoods where community dogs roam freely.

Justice Pardiwala’s bench noted that the case was not just about animal control but also about balancing public safety with humane treatment for the animals.

Existing Legal Framework on Stray Dogs

This is not the first time the issue of stray dogs has reached the higher judiciary. The legal framework governing their management is rooted in the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2001 and subsequent amendments, which mandate sterilisation and vaccination as the primary means of population control.

The Delhi High Court, in a previous Public Interest Litigation (PIL), had directed authorities to focus on mass sterilisation and anti-rabies vaccination, rather than relocation or culling.

The petition behind that PIL was filed by an organisation called Conference for Human Rights (India) in 2024, challenging what it saw as inadequate implementation of ABC rules.

Animal rights groups have often argued that relocation disrupts dog communities, making them more aggressive and potentially spreading the problem to new areas.

What’s Happening on the Ground

Despite the order not being available on the SC website, reports and videos have begun surfacing from West Delhi, showing municipal vans arriving in residential areas, dog catchers in protective gear using loops, and community members protesting.

Animal feeders in colonies like Punjabi Bagh, Janakpuri, and Tilak Nagar claimed they saw familiar dogs being taken away without any prior notice.

Some residents welcomed the action, citing increasing incidents of dog bites and aggressive behaviour. Others expressed worry that these animals would face poor living conditions in overcrowded shelters

Public Reactions – A Deep Divide

The relocation drive has sharply divided public opinion in Delhi-NCR.

On one side are parents and residents’ welfare associations who argue that stray dogs pose a significant safety risk, especially to children and the elderly. They cite numerous bite cases and say that sterilisation programs have been too slow to keep up with the growing dog population.

On the other side are animal welfare activists, feeders, and NGOs who say the problem lies in poor implementation of sterilisation, irresponsible pet ownership, and inadequate waste management.

“Relocation without sterilisation and vaccination is not a solution — it’s a recipe for chaos,” said a volunteer from a Delhi-based animal rights group. “Dogs are territorial. Removing them from one area simply makes space for unvaccinated, unsterilised dogs to move in.”-

Role of Local Authorities

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), along with Noida, Gurugram, and Ghaziabad civic bodies.