In the wake of massive protests erupting across India over the Supreme Court’s controversial order to permanently remove stray dogs from the streets of Delhi-NCR, a newly constituted three-judge bench is set to hear the case again today.
The bench — comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N.V. Anjaria — will take up the suo motu matter, revisiting the heated August 11 ruling by Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan that directed the immediate and permanent relocation of all street dogs into shelters. The earlier bench had justified its decision by citing a surge in dog bite cases, calling the situation “extremely grim” and a “public safety crisis.”
Public backlash was swift and loud, with animal rights groups, local communities, and even some civic authorities warning that the ruling could lead to mass suffering and chaos. On Wednesday, a lawyer highlighted that a May 2024 order by Justice J.K. Maheshwari had directed that stray dog-related petitions be heard by respective high courts — raising legal questions over the August 11 verdict’s validity.
The petition, filed by the Conference for Human Rights (India), alleges that the Animal Birth Control (Dog) Rules, 2001 — which require regular sterilisation and vaccination — are being blatantly ignored, leading to uncontrolled canine population growth.
Under the August 11 directive, Delhi authorities were ordered to create shelters for at least 5,000 dogs within six to eight weeks, with a warning of strict punitive action — including contempt of court — against anyone obstructing the relocation drive.
