New Delhi: In a significant ruling on public safety and stray animal management, the Supreme Court of India on Tuesday permitted authorities to carry out euthanasia of rabid, incurably ill, and demonstrably aggressive stray dogs in accordance with existing legal and animal welfare rules.
The direction was issued while the court dismissed a batch of petitions seeking modification of its earlier orders regarding relocation and management of stray dogs in public places.
A bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta, and Justice NV Anjaria observed that authorities may take legally permissible action, including euthanasia, in cases where stray dogs pose a direct threat to human life and safety. The court clarified that such measures must strictly follow provisions laid down under the Animal Birth Control framework and other statutory protocols.
The bench described the increasing presence of stray dogs in public spaces as “alarming” and stressed that the judiciary could not ignore the growing number of dog bite incidents reported across the country, particularly involving children and elderly citizens.
The court also refused to alter its previous directions issued last year, under which authorities were instructed to remove stray dogs from public spaces such as hospitals, parks, railway stations, and other crowded areas and relocate them to shelters.
Under those earlier directions, sterilised dogs were not to be released back into the same localities from where they were picked up. The court had additionally prohibited the feeding of stray dogs in public places except in specially designated zones.
Several animal welfare organisations, NGOs, and dog lovers had approached the court seeking changes to the order, arguing that relocation after sterilisation could create confusion among animals and potentially increase aggression. However, the bench rejected the requests and maintained that public safety must remain the primary concern.
The court also criticised state governments for failing to adequately implement earlier directions related to sterilisation drives, vaccination programmes, and shelter infrastructure. According to the bench, poor planning and weak enforcement had contributed to the worsening stray dog situation in many parts of the country.
The ruling is expected to have a major impact on how states and local authorities handle stray dog management and public safety measures going forward.
