UP government issues strict rules for aggressive stray dogs. Dogs biting humans without provocation twice will be kept in animal centres for life unless adopted under strict conditions.
It is going to be a tough life for stray dogs in Uttar Pradesh after the state government issued a strict new order regarding aggressive animals. According to the unprecedented directive, any stray dog that bites a human being without provocation even once will be taken to an animal centre and kept there for 10 days.
If the same dog repeats such behaviour, it will be held at the centre for the rest of its life. The only way these dogs can leave the centre is if someone adopts them and submits an affidavit promising that the dog will never be let out on the streets again.
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The order, issued on September 10 by Principal Secretary Amrit Abhijat and sent to all rural and urban civic bodies, lays down detailed measures for managing aggressive stray dogs.
It states that whenever a person takes an anti-rabies vaccine after being bitten by a stray dog, the incident will be investigated and the animal will be taken to the nearest Animal Birth Control centre.
“Once there, the stray dog will be sterilised if the procedure has not already been done. It will be kept under observation for 10 days and its behaviour will be noted. Before being released, the dog will be microchipped, which will have all its details and also enable us to trace its location,”
said Dr Bijay Amrit Raj, Veterinary Officer at the Prayagraj Municipal Corporation.
If the dog bites a human again without provocation, it will not be released and will remain at the centre for life.
When asked about determining whether a bite was provoked or not, Mr Raj explained,
“A committee of three people will be set up, consisting of a veterinary doctor from the area, someone who has experience with animals and understands their behaviour, and someone from the municipal corporation. They will verify that the attack was unprovoked – if the animal bites after someone throws a stone, that will not be considered an unprovoked attack.”
The order also allows adoption of such dogs, but it comes with strict conditions. The adopter must provide complete personal details, including name and address, and submit an affidavit that the dog will never be released on the streets.
The microchip details of the dog will also be recorded, and if the dog is released illegally, legal action will be taken against the adopter.
This new directive from Uttar Pradesh comes a month after the Supreme Court had issued an order for all stray dogs in Delhi and the National Capital Region to be rounded up and kept in shelter homes within eight weeks.
After widespread public outrage, a larger bench modified the Supreme Court order, stating that stray dogs should be sterilised, vaccinated, and released back in their original locations, except in cases where the dogs were suffering from rabies or showing aggressive behaviour.
The Uttar Pradesh government’s decision reflects a stricter approach toward controlling stray dog attacks, balancing public safety concerns with the welfare of the animals, while introducing strong accountability through microchipping and legal safeguards for adopters.
Earlier Order of the Supreme Court
Earlier order of August 11, passed by a Bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan, had created huge controversy. That order had directed that all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR must be caught and sent to shelters within eight weeks.
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The Court at that time had taken serious note of the rising number of dog bite cases and rabies-related deaths. In fact, official figures from 2024 showed at least 37 lakh dog bite cases and 54 suspected deaths due to rabies.
The apex court, On Aug 22, changed its earlier order of August 11 that had directed authorities to round up all stray dogs in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) and to keep them permanently in shelters without release.
A three-judge Bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria ruled that stray dogs should be sent back to their original locations after proper medical care.
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