New Delhi: In a significant direction, the Supreme Court refused to recall its earlier directions on the management of stray dogs in public places and instead allowed authorities to take legally permissible measures, including euthanasia, in cases involving rabid, incurably ill or demonstrably aggressive dogs.
The right to live with dignity encompasses the right to move freely without the threat of harm from dog bite attacks. The court cannot remain oblivious to harsh ground realities where children, international travellers and old age people have fallen victim to dog bite incidents,” a bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N V Anjaria said in response to the petitions by animal rights activists and others.
On November 7 last year, the court took note of the “alarming rise” in dog-bite incidents in areas such as educational institutions, hospitals and railway stations and directed that stray dogs be relocated to designated shelters after sterilisation and vaccination. Stray dogs picked up shall not be released back to their original place, the court said.
Pronouncing the judgment on Tuesday, May 19, the Justice Nath-led Bench stressed that the “right to life with dignity” includes the right to live without fear of dog attacks in public spaces, and pulled up authorities for failing to effectively address the growing menace of stray dog bites.
“The right to live with dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution of India necessarily encompasses the right of every citizen to move freely and access public spaces without living under a constant apprehension of physical harm, attack, or exposure to life-threatening events, such as dog bites in public areas,” the court ruled. “The state cannot remain a passive spectator where preventable threats to human life continue to proliferate in the face of statutory mechanisms specifically designed to address them,” it added.
Implementation of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) framework, it said, remains largely sporadic, underfunded and uneven across jurisdictions. The framework includes sterilisation, vaccination, sheltering, and overall scientific management of state arms. Prolonged inaction coupled with the absence of institutional commitment to the effective implementation of the ABC framework has led to aggravation of the problem, which has now assumed dimensions “warranting urgent and systemic intervention”, the apex court said.
It further directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), in coordination with states and UTs, to formulate and implement a comprehensive mechanism to address the presence of stray animals on national highways and expressways.
Continued non-compliance and non-implementation of the directions issued by the apex court and thereafter by the jurisdictional high court, “shall be viewed seriously”.
The judgment comes in the backdrop of the top court reserving its verdict in January this year after an extensive hearing involving multiple stakeholders, including the Centre, state governments, the Animal Welfare Board of India and civil society groups.
In November 2025, the Supreme Court directed that stray dogs be removed from key public spaces and relocated to shelters, making it clear that such animals should not return to the same locations. Subsequent pleas sought dilution of these directions, which now stand rejected.
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