In response to the alarming rise in dog-bite incidents across the country, the Supreme Court on Friday, November 7, 2025, has ordered the immediate removal of stray dogs from several key public spaces. The order applies to all states and Union Territories, mandating the removal of stray canines from the premises of educational institutions, hospitals, sports complexes, bus stands and depots, and railway stations. The court has directed that the stray dogs be relocated to designated shelters after due sterilization and vaccination, in accordance with the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, framed under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
A Bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N.V. Anjaria, expressed concern over the disturbing increase in dog-bite incidents. The court explicitly stated that stray dogs picked up from the specified premises should not be released back into the same locality. "We have consciously directed the non-release of such stray dogs to the same location from which they were picked up, as permitting the same would frustrate the very effect of the directions issued to liberate such institutional areas from the presence of stray dogs," the Bench said.
The directions were issued during the apex court's suo motu proceedings aimed at framing a national framework for stray dog management and ensuring compliance with existing statutory regulations. The court has placed the responsibility of implementing these directions on local bodies, directing respective jurisdictional municipal authorities to ensure the immediate removal of stray dogs. Compliance reports, detailing the remedial measures undertaken, must be submitted within eight weeks. The matter is scheduled to be reviewed again on January 13, 2026.
In addition to addressing the issue of stray dogs, the Supreme Court also addressed the issue of stray animals on public roads and highways. The court acknowledged that accidents involving cattle and other stray animals have become alarmingly frequent. Therefore, the court directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and other relevant authorities to remove all stray animals from highways and relocate them to suitable shelters, gaushalas, or cattle pounds, where they are to be provided with adequate food, water, and veterinary care. The court instructed the authorities to establish dedicated highway patrol units to maintain continuous surveillance and display helpline numbers prominently along highways.
Furthermore, the court has mandated that all government and private hospitals maintain a sufficient stock of anti-rabies vaccines. Effective waste-management systems must be adopted to eliminate food sources that attract stray animals. The Animal Welfare Board of India has been instructed to frame comprehensive Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the prevention of dog bites and the management of stray dogs within institutional premises, to be uniformly implemented across all States and Union Territories.
The Bench has instructed all States and UTs to identify government and private schools, colleges, medical facilities, public transport hubs and sports facilities within two weeks. Within eight weeks, these locations must be secured, preferably through boundary walls, to prevent stray dogs from entering the premises. A nodal officer will be appointed for each identified location for routine surveillance and upkeep. Municipal bodies and panchayats will conduct periodic inspections for at least three months and submit compliance reports to the court.
The court has made it clear that the Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories, along with the Chairperson of the National Highways Authority of India, will be held personally accountable for any lapses in the enforcement of these directions.
