The Supreme Court on Monday announced that it will pronounce its order in the ongoing stray dogs case on November 7, while also deciding to make the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) a party to the proceedings.

A special three-judge bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N.V. Anjaria noted that chief secretaries from most states and Union Territories were present before the court. The bench allowed an exemption plea filed by the Chief Secretary of Kerala, acknowledging that a Principal Secretary from the state had appeared in court instead.

At the beginning of the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the bench that most states and UTs had submitted their compliance affidavits regarding the implementation of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules. Following this, the court said, “List for orders on November 7.”

The apex court clarified that the personal presence of chief secretaries would no longer be required for future hearings. However, it warned that their attendance would again be mandated if any state defaulted in complying with the court’s directives.

Earlier, during its October 27 hearing, the Supreme Court had expressed strong disapproval over several states and UTs failing to file compliance affidavits despite its August 22 order. The bench had directed all chief secretaries — except those from West Bengal and Telangana — to appear personally on November 3 to explain the delay.

The court had previously expanded the scope of the case, making all states and Union Territories parties, after observing continued reports of stray dog attacks and inadequate control measures. It had remarked that the repeated incidents were tarnishing the country’s image abroad, saying India was being “shown as down” internationally because of such issues.