The Supreme Court has sharply criticised Delhi’s civic authorities for their failure to take responsibility in managing the stray dog situation, as it heard petitions seeking a stay on its earlier directive to relocate stray dogs in the Delhi-NCR region to shelters within eight weeks. The court stressed that the growing problem stems from the inaction of local bodies and called for immediate steps to address both public safety and animal welfare concerns.
Court Rebukes Authorities and Questions Implementation
During Thursday’s hearing, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Vikram Nath, took a stern view of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and other local bodies over their handling of stray dog management. The bench questioned the civic body on its stand regarding the relocation order, remarking, “This is happening because of the inaction of the Municipal Corporation.” Justice Nath further stated that local authorities are not fulfilling their responsibilities and should be actively engaged in resolving the issue. “Local authorities are not doing what they should be doing. They should be here taking responsibility. Everyone who has come here to file intervention should take responsibility,” he was quoted as saying by LiveLaw. The court’s remarks came in response to the August 11 directive ordering that stray dogs across Delhi-NCR be picked up “at the earliest” from all localities and relocated to shelters. Recognising that building sufficient shelters would take time, the court had instructed authorities to start by constructing facilities to house approximately 5,000 dogs within six to eight weeks. However, the directive quickly ignited strong reactions from animal rights groups, activists, and some political leaders, who questioned the feasibility of such a large-scale relocation given the current lack of infrastructure.
Arguments for and Against the Relocation Order
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing petitioners seeking a stay on the relocation order, argued that the directive could not be practically implemented. He stressed that there is a severe shortage of existing dog shelters in Delhi-NCR, making it impossible to round up and hold such a large number of stray dogs. “Directions to round up the dogs and not let them be released cannot be implemented as there are no shelters in the first place,” Sibal said, according to LiveLaw. On the opposing side, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Delhi government, highlighted the alarming scale of dog bite incidents in the region. Citing statistics, Mehta said that India records 37 lakh (3.7 million) dog bites annually, averaging around 10,000 cases per day. He added that rabies caused by such bites results in approximately 305 deaths per year, with World Health Organization (WHO) modelling suggesting the actual numbers could be significantly higher.
While defending the August 11 order, Mehta clarified that the relocation move was not about harbouring hostility towards animals. “Nobody is an animal hater,” he said, emphasising that the order stemmed from concern over public safety, especially the lives of children who have died from rabies contracted through dog bites. The arguments laid bare the tension between two pressing concerns — ensuring public safety in the face of rising dog bite incidents and maintaining humane treatment and management of stray dogs in accordance with established laws such as the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules. The Supreme Court’s focus on the inaction of local authorities signals its intent to push for accountability and swift implementation of effective measures, whether through relocation, sterilisation, or improved shelter infrastructure. The court will continue to weigh both humanitarian and safety considerations as the case moves forward.
