“Notably, Goa has longstanding traditions of humane, community-led animal welfare: People For Animals Goa, PAWS, Goa SPCA and others have led rabies vaccination and sterilisation drives to render Goa rabies-free by 2018, and they continue to offer adoption, ambulance services, and legal interventions.
Goa’s approach underscores that public safety and animal welfare need not be mutually exclusive — they can be pursued concurrently, through scientifically backed, humane, and community-engaged models.”
On August 11, 2025, the Supreme Court of India took an unprecedented leap, directing that all stray dogs in Delhi–NCR must be picked up and moved to shelters within eight weeks, and must not be returned to the streets. Authorities were urged to establish sufficient shelter capacity (starting with 5,000 dogs), ensure sterilisation and vaccination, deploy CCTV to prevent releases, and institute helplines and records — while warning individuals or organisations obstructing the process of contempt proceedings .
This ruling flies in the face of the 2023 Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, which mandate that stray dogs are to be sterilised, vaccinated, and returned to their original territories .
As such, the order has sparked impassioned backlash from animal welfare groups, activists, celebrities and even politicians, who warn it is both illegal under current policy and inhumane in its implementation .
Critics argue that the move blatantly contravenes established law, disrupting the delicate scientific rationale of ABC .
It is logistically untenable, with inadequate shelter space, limited municipal resources, and severe risk of overcrowding, disease spread, and animal trauma .
The approach prioritises human convenience at the cost of the dogs’ welfare, betraying India’s ethos of ahimsa (non-violence) and compassion .
On the other hand, supporters emphasise the state’s primary duty to protect human life, especially vulnerable populations like children, seniors, and women. They note the grim tally—Delhi reports nearly 2,000 dog-bite incidents daily, with rabies and fatalities persisting . The court echoed the sentiment: “Infants and young children, not at any cost, should fall prey to rabies,” and underscored citizens’ fundamental right to move freely without fear .
Some editorials see this as a constitutional affirmation of public safety (Article 21) finally trumping an unrealistic and failed ABC model . The Indian Express praised the move as restoring balance, arguing the ABC regime had been fundamentally flawed despite decades of implementation . Experts warned the order was based on shaky data and went against both scientific and legal consensus .
Goa’s Humane and Proactive Response
Thousands of kilometres away, Goa has taken a more nuanced, deliberative path. Prompted by concerns over rising dog-bite cases (which surged from 8,057 in 2022 to 17,236 in 2024), the state government formed a three-member task force to prepare a action plan for rehabilitating stray dogs in shelters, drawing from the Supreme Court’s decision but shaping their own context-sensitive response .
Notably, Goa has longstanding traditions of humane, community-led animal welfare: People For Animals Goa, PAWS, Goa SPCA and others have led rabies vaccination and sterilisation drives to render Goa rabies-free by 2018, and they continue to offer adoption, ambulance services, and legal interventions.
Goa’s approach underscores that public safety and animal welfare need not be mutually exclusive — they can be pursued concurrently, through scientifically backed, humane, and community-engaged models.
A Balanced Path Forward
1. Need for Safety, Yes—but not at any cost
The Supreme Court’s concerns over human risk are real and urgent. Incidents of violent pet dog attacks—whether by Rottweilers or Pitbulls—underscore that domestic animals can be as dangerous as strays. Any policy must acknowledge the spectrum of risks and build holistic safety nets.
2. Respect for Legal Frameworks
The ABC Rules aren’t perfect, but dismissing them outright undermines legal consistency and trust in policy frameworks. A reformed, better-funded, and properly enforced ABC system may yet address stray dog conflict humanely and effectively.
3. Hybrid Models as Middle Ground
An integrated strategy could blend targeted removal of aggressive/dangerous individual dogs (stray or otherwise), scalable and monitored shelters, and wider deployment of ABC programs in tandem with public education, improved waste management, and community participation.
4. Localized, Inclusive Governance
Goa’s task force shows how local governments—unlike the one-size-fits-all court directives—can adapt national imperatives thoughtfully to regional realities. This includes accounting for tourism hubs, wildlife zones, cultural contexts, and resource capacities.
5. Transparency, Oversight & Resources
Any such exercise requires robust data, independent audits, adequate manpower, humane shelter infrastructure, and real-time transparency—especially if moved by court order with grave consequences for both humans and animals.
The bottom line is that while Supreme Court’s directive on stray dogs has jolted the national conscience, spotlighting a pressing public health dilemma. But as debates rage—between legal mandates, practical constraints, moral sentiments, and emotional bonds—a balanced path forward
