A petition has been submitted to the Supreme Court contesting its August 11 directive that ordered the removal of all stray dogs from public spaces in Delhi NCR and their transfer to shelters. The plea contends that the sweeping relocation mandate is unworkable, breaches animal welfare laws, and threatens mass animal suffering due to inadequate shelter capacity and resources.
The case is scheduled to be heard today before a fresh three-judge bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N.V. Anjaria, which will also preside over the Court’s suo motu proceedings concerning stray dog management.
The petitioner argues that Delhi-NCR lacks the means to house the estimated 300,000 to 1 million stray dogs, and that current facilities fall severely short in providing food, veterinary care, and shelter—thereby placing the captured animals at significant risk of neglect and death.
It is further asserted that the August 11 order runs counter to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960 and fails to meet constitutional obligations under Article 21, as well as duties in Articles 48A and 51A(g).The plea highlights that merely removing stray dogs from public spaces will not address the persistent rabies threat, as vacated territories would inevitably be recolonized by dogs migrating from nearby areas.
Instead, the petition emphasizes that humane and sustainable solutions—such as large-scale sterilisation and vaccination programs—are far more effective in controlling both stray dog populations and rabies, aligning with the Animal Birth Control Rules of 2023.
The plea also references earlier judicial pronouncements, including Swati Sudhirchandra Chatterjee & Ors. v. Vijay Shankarrao Talewar & Ors. and Animal Welfare Board of India & Anr. v. People For Elimination Of Stray Troubles & Ors., wherein the Court strongly endorsed sterilisation-based approaches over blanket removal strategies.
The petitioner urges the Supreme Court to instruct the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to adhere to established animal welfare laws and past judicial directives, warning that the current removal push could undo decades of progress in humane animal birth control efforts.
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