The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its decision on petitions opposing its August 11 directive to round up stray dogs across Delhi-NCR and confine them in shelters.
A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria heard a heated exchange between the Centre, animal rights groups, and senior lawyers, but declined to grant an immediate stay on the earlier order.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Union government, said the problem was a “silent majority suffering” due to inaction by authorities. Citing WHO data of over 300 rabies deaths annually—most involving children—he argued that sterilisation alone cannot curb the threat. “Dogs don’t need to be killed, but they must be separated. Parents are scared to let children out to play,” he said.
Opposing the August 11 order, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing NGO Project Kindness, questioned the feasibility of building shelters in just eight weeks when most municipal bodies lack basic infrastructure. “Where will sterilised dogs go? The order risks mass culling,” he warned.
Senior lawyers Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Sidharth Luthra, Aman Lekhi, and Colin Gonsalves also flagged similar concerns, noting that other states were now copying Delhi’s policy despite limited capacity. Singhvi pointed out there were no rabies deaths in Delhi as per parliamentary records, adding, “Bites are bad, but this creates unnecessary panic.”
The August 11 directive—passed in a suo motu case—required municipal bodies to capture stray dogs, set up shelters for at least 5,000 animals, ban their re-release, and create a helpline for bite complaints. It also warned that obstructing the drive would amount to contempt of court.
With over 25,000 dog bite cases in Delhi last year and more than 3,000 in January 2025 alone, the Court had termed the menace a violation of citizens’ rights under Articles 19 and 21. Animal rights activists, however, have staged protests against what they call an “unconstitutional and cruel” move.
The Bench will now deliver its decision on the stay request at a later date.
