{"id":104196,"date":"2026-05-20T10:35:13","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T05:05:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=104196"},"modified":"2026-05-20T12:04:38","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T06:34:38","slug":"sc-pulls-up-states-over-stray-dog-menace-and-public-safety-concerns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/sc-pulls-up-states-over-stray-dog-menace-and-public-safety-concerns\/","title":{"rendered":"SC Pulls Up States Over Stray Dog Menace and Public Safety Concerns"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>Stray Dog Menace Latest News<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court has dismissed all challenges related to stray dog management and strongly criticised states for remaining passive while citizens face increasing dog attack risks in public spaces.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court observed that India\u2019s stray dog crisis has reached alarming levels due to poor implementation of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/issue-of-stray-dogs-in-india\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>Animal Birth Control (ABC) framework<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, introduced in 2001. It noted a serious lack of infrastructure, irregular sterilisation and vaccination drives, and weak institutional mechanisms.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Linking the issue to <\/span><b>Article 21<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the Court held that the right to life includes the right to move freely in public spaces without fear of attack, stressing that children and elderly citizens cannot be left vulnerable.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It also warned authorities that failure to follow court directions and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/what-is-the-animal-welfare-board-of-india\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>Animal Welfare Board of India<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (AWBI) guidelines could invite contempt proceedings and disciplinary action.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>What Triggered the Supreme Court\u2019s Intervention<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court took up the stray dog issue suo motu in July 2025 after reports of a 6-year-old girl in New Delhi dying from a dog bite and suspected rabies infection.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court described the rise in dog attacks and rabies-related deaths as a serious public safety concern.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Initial Directions by the Court<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The case was first heard by a bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan, which in August 2025 directed civic authorities in Delhi-NCR to:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remove stray dogs from public spaces\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shift them to shelters\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Avoid releasing them back onto the streets\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court emphasised that citizens should be able to move freely without fear of dog attacks.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The order triggered protests from animal welfare organisations and dog feeders, who argued that the directions violated the ABC Rules, 2023. Under these rules:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stray dogs must be sterilised and vaccinated\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They should then be released back into the same area from where they were picked up<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following petitions seeking recall of the order, the matter was referred to a three-judge bench led by Justice Vikram Nath.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Modified Position of the Court<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court later softened its earlier stance and:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Restored the existing sterilisation-and-release policy under the ABC Rules\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Allowed authorities to keep rabid or aggressive dogs in shelters\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prohibited feeding stray dogs in public places outside designated feeding zones<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Key Arguments in Previous Supreme Court Hearings<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Resident welfare groups and families of dog bite victims argued that authorities had failed to control the rising stray dog menace.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Animal welfare organisations opposed large-scale removal of stray dogs, arguing that such a strategy would be <\/span><b>ineffective and unsustainable<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Expansion of the Court\u2019s Review and Interim Direction<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over time, the hearings expanded beyond immediate dog attack incidents into a broader review of how states and municipal bodies were implementing sterilisation, vaccination, and shelter management policies.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In November 2025, the Supreme Court issued an interim order directing:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">States and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to remove stray animals from highways\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Removal of stray animals from schools, hospitals, and other institutional premises\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fencing of such sensitive premises to improve public safety<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Supreme Court\u2019s Directions on Stray Dog Management<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court directed every district in India to establish at least one fully functional ABC centre.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">States and Union Territories have been asked to further expand this infrastructure based on population density and local needs.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court ordered authorities to:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ensure adequate availability of anti-rabies medicines\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strengthen veterinary services\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Improve vaccination infrastructure for effective stray animal management<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court directed the NHAI and state governments to develop a coordinated mechanism for handling stray animals on highways and expressways.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This should include: Transport vehicles for animal relocation; Shelter facilities; Coordination with animal welfare organisations.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Action Against Dangerous Animals<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court clarified that authorities may take legally permitted action, including euthanasia, in cases involving:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rabid dogs\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Incurably ill animals\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Demonstrably dangerous or aggressive dogs posing a threat to human life\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Such measures must strictly comply with the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the ABC Rules.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To ensure implementation, the Supreme Court directed all High Courts to initiate suo motu continuing proceedings for regular monitoring of compliance with these directions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>What the ABC Rules Provide<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, framed under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, identify sterilisation and anti-rabies vaccination as the primary methods for controlling stray dog populations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Rules require that stray dogs, after sterilisation and vaccination, be <\/span><b>released back into the same area<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from where they were picked up, based on the understanding that stray dogs are territorial animals.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ABC Rules prohibit: Indiscriminate killing of stray dogs; Arbitrary relocation of stray dogs.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Euthanasia is permitted only in specific cases involving: Rabid dogs; Terminally ill animals; Fatally injured animals.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Constitutional Dimensions of the Debate<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Animal Welfare Perspective<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Animal welfare groups relied on Article 51A(g) of the Constitution, which places a fundamental duty on citizens to show compassion towards living creatures.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Public Safety Perspective<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Unchecked stray dog populations violate citizens\u2019 rights under: Article 19 (Right to move freely) and Article 21 (Right to life and personal safety).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b><strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-law\/supreme-court-stray-dog-case-verdict-abc-rules-10696807\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IE<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/legal-news\/supreme-court-dismisses-plea-against-stray-dogs-sop-10696962\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Stray dog menace prompted the Supreme Court to direct stronger sterilisation, vaccination, shelters, and public safety measures under the ABC Rules framework.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":104223,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[60,7622,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-104196","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-mains-articles","9":"tag-stray-dog-menace","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs-tag","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104196"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104196\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":104215,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104196\/revisions\/104215"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/104223"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}