A late-night protest outside a sterilisation shelter in Delhi’s Rohini Sector 27 spiraled into chaos between Friday and Saturday, after volunteers accused officials of killing and mistreating stray dogs. The protestors, many of them animal rights activists, alleged that the dogs kept inside the Animal Birth Control (ABC) shelter were being subjected to cruelty and even “illegal experiments.”

Videos and images from inside the shelter were widely circulated on social media, showing disturbing visuals of dogs in poor condition. Protesters claimed a foul stench was emanating from the building and went as far as to accuse officials of being involved in the trade of dog meat.

The situation escalated as police arrived at the spot in large numbers. Several activists alleged that the police used force to disperse volunteers, leading to further anger among protesters.

On Saturday morning, activist Sankshey Babber claimed that 103 dogs were freed from the Rohini shelter after sustained demonstrations. He asserted that the issue was not limited to Rohini alone but reflected the “pathetic state of all dog shelters across Delhi.”

The dramatic protests coincided with recent Supreme Court interventions on the stray dog issue. On August 11, the top court had directed authorities to shift stray dogs in Delhi-NCR to shelters. However, in its latest order, a three-judge bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria modified its stance, ruling that stray dogs must be released after sterilisation, except for aggressive or rabid animals which can be kept in shelters.

The Court also instructed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to set up feeding zones in every municipal ward, while warning that obstructing officials performing their duty would attract legal action.

Further broadening its focus, the Supreme Court issued notices to the Animal Husbandry Departments of all states and Union Territories, seeking their response on framing a national policy to address the stray dog menace.